


Biggest Misconception

by mariesjey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), Pureblood Hermione Granger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 43,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26543755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariesjey/pseuds/mariesjey
Summary: Who is Hermione Granger?She is one-third of the Golden Trio, a muggleborn and the Brightest Witch of Her Age. Isn’t it?Is it?A trio forged by circumstances planned to test the Boy Who Lived? A witch whose family lived in muggle London for years? Books and cleverness or cunning and self-preservation?
Relationships: Daphne Greengrass/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 10
Kudos: 107





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The world of Harry Potter and its characters belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

Hermione Granger knew when she opens her Hogwarts letter that she will lose all contact to the magical world especially her beloved cousins because of a blood curse. Despite the curse, Hermione knows that she must attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to fulfill her family’s obligations to the magical world and its inhabitants. And so Hermione Granger entered into a compromise – she will open her Hogwarts letter on the 30th day of July, giving her almost a year of freedom to practice her magic and be with her loving cousins, Malcolm and Blaise.

If only Hermione opened her letter a day later.

xxx

Harry Potter was known to live a very normal life – if growing your hair the next morning after it was cut and finding yourself on the roof of the school while hiding from your cousin could be called normal. But Harry’s life on #4 Privet Drive with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley has been “normal” since he was left on their house’s doorstep 11 years ago. On the first hour of 31st day of July (after many letters wasted and owls sent) Harry Potter received his Hogwarts letter… finally! It was hand-delivered by Hagrid himself, Hogwarts Keeper of Keys and Grounds and will be taking him to Diagon Alley to shop for his school supplies.

Harry’s day has just begun.


	2. The Sorting of September 1991

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens at the sorting of September 1991?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!
> 
> This is my first story, I hope you enjoy it!

After Harry Potter was left by his family on King’s Cross Station without a backward glance, Hermione Granger has set herself on the next unoccupied compartment at the back of the train after being unceremoniously thrown out from her last compartment.

She was fuming yet maintained her indifference to everything that is happening inside the train to keep her low-key appearance that was drilled into her by her grandfather Armand.

_“Always blend in with your environment, Maia. Never keep your head down, only blend-in. You won’t know when the enemy will attack if your head is down”, Grandfather Armand told Hermione on her 11th birthday._

It is a pity she couldn’t sit with her cousin, he is also coming to Hogwarts this year and will be with his so-called friends. _Parkinson and Greengrass will be there, though Bulstrode and Nott is alright. And Draco “blah blah” Malfoy as well… dreamy yet… I think I’d rather stay on my own._

Neville Longbottom then clumsily opened the door and stumbled on the compartment’s seat, cutting Hermione’s train of thought. She was irked by the sudden intrusion but still welcomed the first magical child that she could talk to after the curse was effected.

“Hello. Hermione Granger, pleasure to meet you.”

“N-Neville L-Longbot-tom. It is n-nice to meet you too.”

 _Hmm, quite shy for a Longbottom._ Observed Hermione but she was not deterred on meeting a new companion and maybe a friend, if Nimue allows. _Well then, time to test the restrictions._

“My family lives in muggle London and was really surprised to access Diagon Alley through Leaky Cauldron. Have you started on our books yet? The family was not able to visit directly because of some restrictions but I am glad that I was able to buy everything I need for school. My Mother loves Flourish & Blotts yet Father likes Eeylops’ Owl Emporium most. Do you have a familiar? What was Hogwarts like?” 

“Hogwarts was an old castle built by the Founders to educate witches and wizards. Albus Dumbledore is the current Headmaster of the school”, Neville shyly shares to his new acquaintance. “I like Herbology, what about you?”

 _He glazed over most of my rants then. If this is the current magical community then I could break the curse’s restrictions easily… as long as Old Dumbles doesn’t get a wind of it._ Hermione thought while observing Neville. “I have no particular liking yet but I have practiced a few spells before leaving home. I have read all our books as well and of course, Hogwarts, A History.”

On the other side of the train, Harry Potter sat with Ronald Weasley after he barged in in his compartment saying _every where else is full_. If only Hermione knows.

Nearing Hogsmeade Station, Hermione and Neville got on their school robes. While Hermione was checking the enchantments on her trunk, Neville found out that his toad Trevor was lost. 

“What’s the problem, Neville? You look bad.”

“My toad T-Trevor was lost. I know I put him near my robes but he isn’t here anymore!”

Neville was on panic, his uncle gave it to him as a gift for getting into Hogwarts (more like for not being a Squib) and Hermione pitying her new acquaintance (even she knows that toads are not allowed as pets) tried to help Neville. She went into a few compartments but no positive results and is now seriously considering to _accio_ Trevor and to hell with the consequences, but then she found Harry Potter’s compartment.

“Hello. Has anyone seen a toad? Neville lost one.”

“No, we haven’t. I’m Harry Potter, by the way and this is Ronald Weasley.”

 _Oh, where are my manners?_ “Hermione Granger. We are nearing Hogsmeade Station, you should get into your robes”, Hermione says while discreetly eyeing the Boy Who Lived and Ronald Weasley. 

“Pleasure. You have dirt on your nose, did you know?” was Hermione’s parting words to the ginger git. 

When the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade Station, Hermione sat on the boat with her cousin as well as the Greengrass and Parkinson girls. When their boat arrived near the dungeon’s bridge, an explosion of magic was sent from the Great Lake to welcome the castle’s heir. 

xxx

Coming to the shore, the first years climbed the stairs to the Entrance Hall and was waiting for Professor McGonagall to come back for the Sorting Ceremony.

“I heard that Harry Potter was on the train.”

“He is? Where is he?”

“Have you seen Harry Potter? He was a first year like us.”

On hearing his fellow students’ chatter, Draco Malfoy looked for the said Harry Potter and found him standing in front of the doors with a redhead. He went to him with all the swagger of the Most Noble House of Malfoy.

“Harry Potter, isn’t it? I’m Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. We-“Draco introduces himself but was cut off when Ron Weasley gave an inelegant snort beside Harry. “Found my name funny, do you?”

“Red hair, freckles, hand-me-down clothes, too many children. You must be a Weasley.” 

Irked by the interruption from the Weasley boy, Draco suddenly lost his cool and put on his pureblood mask against Ron whose cheeks were in flame as red as his hair. Draco knew that insulting the Weasley boy was a no-go in befriending Potter but he still persisted in hopes that he can take one wizard away from Dumbledore’s influence. 

“If you want to get away from the wrong sort, Potter, I can help you there.” Extending his hand to the boy, Draco still hopes that he can be friends with the boy he met on Diagon Alley.

“No, thanks but I know the wrong sort for myself, Malfoy.” Harry answered rejecting the extended hand of the Malfoy Scion.

Hermione saw the whole exchange with her cousin, though they were not able to talk to each other, and was filing everything for references on everyone around her. While Potter rejected the hand of friendship offered by Malfoy, they never saw the look of glee on Ronald Weasley’s face but Hermione did. And she shivered involuntarily when she saw the malice on those ice blue eyes. 

Professor McGonagall then opened the Entrance Hall and marched the first years to the Great Hall to be sorted.

xxx

“When I call your name, please step into the stage and sit on the stool. I would then put the Sorting Hat in your head for you to be sorted.”

The Sorting Ceremony started yet Hermione was still enchanted by the ceiling of the Great Hall.

From afar, she could be seen as fondly remembering her memories back home upon the same ceiling of stars but in truth Hermione Granger has put on her Occlumency shields while prying into the minds of her professors for the next 7 years. She was just seeing the occlumency shields of Albus Dumbledore when her name was called.

“Hermione Granger”

Hermione nervously stepped into the dais towards the Sorting Hat. It is a most monumental event in the history of Hogwarts but most especially the castle itself.

“Hello, dear one. It is of my greatest honor that I will be sorting you to your Hogwarts House. Most significant than sorting Harry Potter himself.”

“The honor is mine, Great Enil. And I have come to fulfill that was written in time. But I hope that you would consider a little suggestion, most honorable one to put me to where Harry Potter was sorted?”

“Oh? And what of your birthright, my lady? Would you not like to claim it to strengthen the castle back to its former glory? Afterall, there’s many a fool who has meddled with it for a long time now.”

“Meddled it is, my good sir. That’s why I am asking you to put me into Gryffindor… for now.”

“As you wish, my lady. And again, welcome home.”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

A most monumental event indeed. 


	3. Hermione’s First Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione comes home after her first term from Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

When Hermione Granger started Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry she expected the blood prejudice that was prevailing for the past century. What she did not expect was to be belittled and insulted for her intelligence and work ethic. It was so disconcerting more than the blood prejudice that Hermione was often found alone on Gryffindor’s common room or at the library where studious students were also found.

She actually wants to tell her cousins about it but the wand enchantment doesn’t work on most parts of the castle – she even tried going to the edge of the Forbidden Forest but it was to no avail and the Groundskeeper almost caught her. She was really glad for the morning routines drilled at the family hall for the past 11 years.

It was on the night of Halloween that Hermione became ‘friends’ with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley – if friends meant being with them everywhere they go and helping correct their assigned works for their classes. 

Hermione found herself locked inside the girl’s bathroom with a mountain troll with the two flailing boys, trying to fight for her life! Troll boggers! If not for her idiotic housemates being present Hermione might have talked the troll to leave her alone in the bathroom. Afterall, it was Ron’s fault why she was crying inside the loo. _She should have flayed Ronald Weasley alive instead of fighting a troll, it would have been more fun!_

“But fighting a troll for your life puts a new perspective to mind”, Hermione’s mother used to say. And so she has added the names of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley under Neville Longbottom’s name on her tentative “Friend’s List” which only has a handful of cousins’ names for so many years. 

On the start of Winter Break, Hermione took the Hogwarts Express to go back to London and was welcomed by Alfred Pennings, her family’s most trusted butler. Hermione sprung to hug Alfred, who had been with their family for 300 years. Tired from her trip, she never looked back or has paid attention to her surroundings that was expected of her. Not knowing that she was being followed and closely watched by one wizard. 

Alfred, as the butler of the Most Ancient, Most Noble and Most Blessed House of Granger, is also the Head Guardian assigned to protect Hermione from any harm and to keep any dangerous entity away from her. Seeing the wizard, Alfred took his young mistress’ trunk without magic and led her to the waiting car. Driving home, Alfred informed the other guardians that Hermione needs protection and has already upped the vicinity wards lest he leads the wizard to the ancestral home of the Grangers. 

XXX

Dedalus Diggle was tasked by Albus Dumbledore to know Hermione Granger. Every bit of information he could gather about the little witch is important and what he is doing is for The Greater Good. 

Dedalus had been working for Albus for most of his life – gathering information on any witch or wizard Albus has his eyes into. He was the one who has found poor Tom Riddle on the orphanage and was the one to report the young Sirius Black to the aurors after he killed the muggles while going after Peter Pettigrew. Yes, Dedalus Diggle has done innumerable things for Albus Dumbledore’s Greater Good and following a little girl home is just a piece of cake. 

He has followed the girl from Hogsmeade Station until the train pulls to King’s Cross Station. He will now be following the girl into the muggle world and to her house which is in the London suburbs and will be erecting a monitoring ward on it just like the one’s on the Longbottom manor. 

It had taken him no time to follow Hermione from the train as she was tired and sluggish from her trip – because of the dizzying and sleep inducing spells he shot the girl before embarking to the train – and the monitoring and tracking charm he put on her was still holding. But he still started when he saw the man welcoming her. 

There was no mention of the man on Albus’ files on Hermione Granger nor the indication that the chit was rich if based on the car waiting outside King’s Cross. If the girl’s family is rich enough to own a Rolls-Royce, then Dedalus Diggle would make sure that he collects the family’s wealth at his Gringotts account. 

XXX

Determining that the wizard was indeed following Hermione, Alfred wasted no time in deploying sentry owls to check on the progress of the wizard following them. He will not be able to lose him yet but when they near Kensington Palace the wards would throw us off his scent. 

But Hermione being followed meant more. It not only means that her life was in danger but that Albus Dumbledore is already on her tail. Thus, Alfred has also sent the elfin Ruru to know the wizard and dig all the information about him including his most darkest desire and secrets. Alfred will have the information at the earliest at dawn and would know if the tail would have to be eliminated or obliviated. 

Sensing the weakened state of the young Granger as well, Alfred knows that she was shot by a dizzying spell coupled with a sleep inducing one. Her magical reading also shows multiple magical signatures that does not belong to her – proving that someone has put an illegal charm on her and was being tampered at Hogwarts. 

Passing Grimmauld Place, Alfred felt the vicinity wards pass through them and it has removed both monitoring and tracking charms on his charge but the tampers on her magic was still there which meant that it was rendered by potions. 

Halfway into the vicinity wards, Alfred maneuvered the car towards the gatehouse. They passed the warded gates removing another monitoring charm on Hermione as well as the dizzying and sleep inducing spell.

Entering the driveway, Hermione woke up and was already alert, they again passed another ward – _fondly named the medusa_ – which singles out those with ill-intent against the House of Granger and its allies. It removed Dumbledore’s illegal charms and compulsions from her giving Hermione a much clearer mind.

When Hermione steps out of the car and walks to the house, she then passes a cleansing ward that removed the illegal potions and magical block and bond on her core while she was in Hogwarts.

And Hermione Granger is home at the Granger Hall, very much safe and sound


	4. Dinner at Granger Hall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione gleans new information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling.
> 
> Thank you for the positive reception of this story. Much, much appreciated. Thank you!

With clear and alert mind, Hermione entered the thresholds of her family’s ancestral home. Aptly named after the old seat’s sacred chamber, the Granger Hall have been home to all the Grangers since Hogwarts Castle was given to the four founders to teach Magic’s young populace to prepare them for their future endeavors. Built like an old Italian villa with a mixture of influences from the four islands of the United Kingdom, the Hall stands as one of the greatest examples of the House of Granger’s work to keep Magic alive.

Atop the stairs of the Entrance Hall stood the family’s Patriarch Armand Granger, anxiously waiting for his granddaughter who was reported in danger by the sentry owls a few moments after her arrival at King’s Cross Station. Danger is normal to a Granger, it was expected and welcomed to the family like an old friend because of their family’s allegiance to Magic. But having the youngest member of the family and heir be in this friend’s way was too much for the old man, he knows that this is not of The Fates’ design. 

Sensing Hermione’s arrival through the wards was a balm to the Patriarch’s heart knowing that she is safe under Alfred’s protection. He also felt another ping on the wards – tampers, potions, and charms that are not from Hermione’s or Alfred’s magical signature which put another cause of anxiousness on his mind, whatever those are must have came from Hogwarts. A very troubling idea, as Hogwarts should be one of the safest place for magic in the UK.

Seeing his granddaughter climbed the stairs to the Entrance Hall, Armand Granger put all his questions to rest, the most important thing to him was Hermione’s safety and well-being.

XXX

Dinner at the Hall was what Hermione misses most while at Hogwarts. The dishes made by the house elves of Hogwarts rivals that of the Hall yet the absence of comfort and home lingers in the atmosphere for Hermione. Add to it the loss of intellectual conversations that prevails in the Hall during dinner, Hermione feels the weight of her decision to follow Harry Potter to Gryffindor. 

“Maia, how are you feeling? What is bothering you, my dear one?” Armand Granger asks sensing Hermione’s lack of interest. “I hope it is not about your Mama and Papa. You do remember that they are at the Isle of Man until the 23rd, don’t you?”

“Yes, Papa Armand, I do remember. I received Mother’s owl a week before we went home for holidays. I just feel a bit lost, Papa. I miss my cousins and children at Hogwarts looks at me as a know-it-all, it’s disheartening. I can’t even talk to Baley and Mal through Serf which I have no idea why. Then, Harry Potter and that Ronald Weasley was looking into what Dumbledore has hidden inside the castle which was guarded by a three-headed dog and a trapdoor. Then Malfoy, that peacock of a son of his father, was throwing names at me just like Parkinson and Greengrass. Then, when I tried to approach Baley once he just spouted insults at me which is shocking because that is not part of the curse, he couldn’t even talk to me normally even if he is using Granger. And I couldn’t talk of Herbology only to the Longbottom boy for Nimue’s sake, that will char my brain to pieces, Papa!” 

Hermione voiced to her grandfather her four months’ worth of frustration at Hogwarts. Yes, she sent owls home to the family but it was mostly looked as homesickness by Helen Granger – Hermione’s mother - of a child who was stock at boarding school for months.

Yet now as Armand Granger sat listening to his granddaughter, he realized how deep Hermione’s problem went at Hogwarts and its connections to the still on-going war against Magic’s despised wizard. Hermione does not know yet but he is sure that given time, she will realize the significance of those troubles to their cause and the newly seen smokescreens planted to thwart their efforts to restore the balance of Magic.

“Have I heard you right, child? Headmaster Dumbledore hid an object under a trapdoor and it was guarded by a three-headed dog? A Cerberus at Hogwarts?” 

“Yes, Papa. The headmaster hid an object at Hogwarts – it was taken from a vault in Gringotts by the Gameskeeper when he and Harry went to Diagon Alley. At the Start of Term Feast, Dumbledore said that the third floor corridor was closed off and warned students of death if not heed. Can you imagine the incompetence, Papa?”

_Such indignance,_ Papa Armand fondly thought. “Yes, I can, dearest. But how did you know than an object was hidden there?”

“A few nights after the "Troll Incident" while coming back from the library, Harry and Weasley was running away from Mr. Filch as it was past curfew and I was caught in it. We were at the moving staircases when the stairs were taking to the Gryffindor Tower shifted to another corridor. We ended up at the third floor and entered the only room there to hide. There we saw the three-headed dog – which was not a Cerberus – slubbering at us. I noticed that it was standing on a trapdoor. The morning after, the Daily Prophet reported another update on the break-in at Gringotts which happened on July 31 – the day Harry and Hagrid went to retrieve something for Dumbledore as well.”

“I have read about the break-in at Gringotts from Doroy’s report. He said that nothing was taken as the vault was emptied prior. But I never knew nor heard that the content was taken at the same day. That is really interesting news, Maia. And what have you found out about the object?”

“Nothing much, Papa. Only that it was between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel. The name was familiar to me and I know that I either read about it or heard him from my lessons. Yet I couldn’t place him, Papa.”

“Nicolas Flamel?? Are you sure, Maia? It was Nicolas Flamel that you heard?” the Patriarch was shocked to hear. 

“Yes, Papa Armand. Hagrid said the object was between “Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel”, Hermione emphasizing her words together with an air quote. “Do you know him, Papa?”

“Yes, Maia.” Armand Granger, still reeling in shock, answered reluctantly. “Unfortunately and I believe, yes it is time for you to know. What do you remember of the Gaunts and Riddles, Hermione?”

“The Gaunts are the last Parseltongue speaking family. The Riddles are their neighbors and one of the guarding families of magic which was struck by the blood curse Obscurity like ours. These family lines ended when they were murdered.” Hermione recited matter-of-fact. “But how are they related to Nicolas Flamel, Papa?”

“It is very much related to, dearest. And I believe it would also answer your Dumbledore question.” Armand regretfully informs his heir, clearly knowing of her curiosity and penchant to have answers to a mystery. _Better to know through those who knew than from forced fed word of mouth._

“The Gaunt and Riddle line has not ended yet because Merope Gaunt, the last daughter of Gaunt, married Thomas Riddle, the forgotten scion of the snakes, and gave birth to a son named Tom Marvolo Riddle. The marriage between the Gaunt and Riddle line was a fulfillment of fate given to both families 50 years prior and was written that “the birth of the son of the snakes would help wrench power and hopefully rid of the meddlesome King” in the Codicil of Fate stolen from Hildegard Granger, Lady Fate’s Scribe at the time.”

“Nicolas Flamel, meanwhile is the husband of Perinell Bronx, a member of your Mama Elisa’s family tree. She was a famed arithmancer of the time while Nicolas was an alchemist. Together they created a Philosopher’s Stone, a crystal that could turn anything to gold and produce the Elixir of Life, and as of today’s time the only one in existence. This, I believe was what’s hidden at Hogwarts.”

“Tom Riddle, popularly known today as Lord Voldemort, indeed wrenched power from the meddlesome King but not how The Fates has described. He wrenched power not to help restore the balance but to gain power for himself and as pawn for the Greater Good. The once tagged as the Prince of Snakes became a fallen head and puppet for Dumbledore’s wiles. He is also the reason why that gods be damned headmaster hid a Philosopher’s Stone in the castle, to tempt him into showing himself.”

“And why was he hiding grandfather?” Hermione asks her grandfather, looking for the missing piece of the puzzle.

“Because of Harry Potter, dearest. Who else?” Was the Patriarch’s only reply. "And if you want to know more, Salie would gladly help you, as always."


	5. A Family Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grangers realized their shortcomings and plans were made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!
> 
> There was an internet system maintenance from where I'm from and I was not at to update. As an apology, here are three chapters for you.

When Hermione came home under undue influence on her first Christmas break, the family Patriarch decided to call for a family meeting. His first dinner with Hermione was an eye opener, to say the least. He should have looked upon the blood curse, monitored its progress through the years and heeded Ruri’s warnings all this time. 

Instead he and the whole family took to the wars wielded by muggles amongst themselves all over the world making sure that all the magicals are safe and far from it, never thinking that they had forsaken the Granger family and its allies fate. They should have protected and revived themselves first and not the other way around.

 _“The Granger line is Magic’s first family in the Four Isles, thus it is Magic’s protector. We were born to protect and to ensure that Magic stays alive. We are sworn to Magic in perpetuity – to care, to nurture, to kill, and to live. Without the Granger line, Magic will perish.”_

He clearly remembers his father’s words. It is the first lesson of being a Granger – the first words spoken to every new member of the Granger family, the tradition being 1,700 years old. _The Granger line is Magic’s blood, it must continue to flow lest Magic dies._

XXX

The day the Hogwarts Express left King’s Cross Station to send students back to Hogwarts, Armand Granger gathered the main line members of the family and his allies at what he fondly calls his 21st Room, nicknamed because it was next door to the Granger Hall’s The 20th, the largest hall in the UK (thanks to extension charms) which bore witness to every facet of the Granger’s history for a thousand years.

“I am glad that you are all here, my dearest children,” he said while looking to Richard and Helen Granger, and Chiara Zabini. “And it is my utmost pleasure to have you in my presence, my friends,” to Halvin and Lucia Le Blanc, Madeleine Dolohov-Le Blanc, Sandro Scamander, Amara Potter, Nikolai Romanov, Xavier Tweed, and Alfred Pennings.

“I will be honest with all of you, this meeting is of the highest regard and the priority above all things. What we will discuss not only holds the Grangers’ fate on the line but it is a matter of life and death, both for our family and Magic.” 

“Is this about Maia, Father?” Chiara asks, full of concern. “What really happened to her? To the family? Even Blaise went home crying to me, saying he’s guilty and could not face Hermione anymore.”

“The wards.” Richard with brows furrowed said. “When Hermione went home from Hogwarts, the wards were triggered – all four of them. That should be impossible, the vicinity wards could pulse for tracking charms to know if a person is safe, but to vibrate incessantly –“

“-means that Hermione was tracked with intent to know and monitor her, every move she makes. Who would do that to my daughter?” Helen said barely in control of her fear for her daughter’s life.

“That is why we are here, Helen. We have already started on looking into it and unto everyone that surrounds Maia in UK’s Wizarding World.” Armand explained to everyone. “And we are here today and will be on the following meetings to piece each information gathered not just on Hermione’s life but also to Magic’s war against the Meddlesome King.” A little pause and then looked to Alfred. “Alfred, if you please.”

XXX

Alfred Pennings, butler of the Most Ancient, Most Noble and Most Blessed House of Granger and Head Guardian, was never fazed in his 300-year life but today was a first. He has talked to dragons, cared for newborn vampires, even tamed werewolves, yet he has never sensed a change that would hugely affect his family. But he knew that it has to come, for Magic.

“When the Hogwarts Express arrived at King’s Cross Station, I sensed Hermione’s weakness. When she went through the barrier, I saw that her movements were sluggish and her eyes were a bit glassy and squinting due to dizziness. She was not aware of her surroundings, very opposite of her normal habits. When I met her to gather her trunk, she flung to me and relief was apparent in her face. It was then that I saw a wizard following her. An aged man, dressed in brown robes. He was following us until we walk out of the station to the car and before we went in, I pressed to his magic and got the foulest intent towards the family. It is then that I requested to upped the vicinity wards and for sentry owls to follow him until we lost him near Grimmauld Place.”

“What’s his name, Alfred? And what did you find out?” Tweed asked.

“He is Dedalus Diggle, 88 years old and lives in Sussex. Ruru said that he was Albus’ man since he was 18, gathers information for him on every witch and wizard that Albus has his sights on but took entertainment from those he fancies. He puts tracking and monitoring charms on his targets while they were experiencing dizziness or disorientation resulting from a combination of dizzying and sleep inducing spells. Those he chose for entertainment were all found left in the sewers of London a day after he accompanied them to visit their Gringotts vaults or banks. They were found to be molested, raped, humiliated and killed through blood loss from the continued use of diffindo and sometimes the Killing Curse.”

“That monster was following my Maia?!” Madeleine roared in anger. “That-that cretin of a wizard, following my Maia and you did not kill him, Alfred?! I want him banished from this plane and thereafter!! He should not exist any longer!”

“Ruru and I wanted to eviscerate him, Lady Madie. We want him gone from this world, every pieces of him down to the minutest detail of his being. But we can’t, my lady, no… not just yet.”

“You want him to suffer. He must suffer that he will wish death upon himself and ensures that he will not return to life any other way or anytime,” Halvin Le Blanc said, giving voice to the realization dawning in all their minds. “This man and every one like him under Albus’ beck and call must be known inside out. We must be prepared, this is a preparation to win the war.”

“Indeed, it is,” Armand replied. “The family has been in this war for 150 years yet there was no breakthrough, we are still in stalemate and is not winning. We must win this war, at all cost, and overthrow the king who took over the Wizarding World and eschewed all of Magic’s lore.”

“The family has thrived through obscurity, we have guarded and kept all the threats away from the magicals yet we are pummeled with prejudice from our own. The future is bleak but do they know?” Alfred said, agreeing that Magic’s War against the Meddlesome King should be ended. “We must be present to protect, or we will all perish because of Albus’ abuse of Magic and blood purity propaganda.”

_Yes, for Magic we must._

XXX

Helen Granger was still reeling in shock from Ruru’s report to Alfred. _That that Dedalus Diggle was following her child home. Why would that man follow her Hermione? Does Hermione know about it? Maybe she mentioned it on one of her letters home? Gods, I dismissed all she said as homesickness from a bored child stuck in boarding school! What have I done?!_

“What were the influences removed by the wards from Hermione?” Nikolai Romanov, the Master Potioneers’ Master, asked. “And was everything completely removed?”

This made her raise herself from her thoughts. _Yes, she wants to know what was her daughter was put through._

“Yes, Alfred, what did Zelda’s records say?” Lucia asked.

“The monitoring and tracking charms by Dedalus Diggle was removed by the vicinity wards. A monitoring charm by Albus Dumbledore together with the dizzying and sleep inducing spells was removed by the wards on the gatehouse."

"Medusa removed a _deprecate_ charm by Ronald Weasley worded to make her self-deprecate, a _mock-me maxis_ charm keyed to Ronald Weasley by Ronald Weasley which makes her defend him even if he was insulting her, and compulsions to support, defend and like Ronald Weasley, to show-off and not synthesize, and to fret on studies and obey authorities and follow figureheads by Albus Dumbledore."

"Lastly, the cleanse purged her of loyalty and obedience potions to Albus Dumbledore by Albus Dumbledore, two drops of Amortentia keyed to Ronald Weasley by Ronald Weasley, magic dampener and soul bond block by Minerva McGonagall and an illegal amoral bond to Dedalus Diggle by Arabella Figg.”

“All those were in Hermione?” Chiara Zabini cannot believe her ears. “Then Blaise… must have… I must take him to be cleansed as well-“

“Yes, _chere_ , take Blaise to Gringotts or Zurcher or the Manolos,” Lucia said. “But make sure that Albus’ will not get a wind of it and all will be for naught.”

“Who is Ronald Weasley? And that Arabella Figg?” Helen asked with a furrowed brow. “How near are they to Maia that he can spike her with Amortentia and she can put her into an amoral bond?”

“And what happened to Minerva McGonagall? We know her family is able to cast magic dampeners and blocks of varying levels, it’s her family’s magic, but a soul bond block on a full-witch? On a student that is not a muggleborn? Who gave her the magical right to do so?” Amara Potter confusedly asks.

“Muggleborn?” Helen says in a daze. “Hermione said on one of her letters that she was tagged as a Muggleborn both in Hogwarts and in the Ministry. She said that she lives in muggle London to test the restrictions of the curse yet everyone _knows and says_ that she is muggleborn, even if she doesn’t say so.”

“Isn’t the curse only preventing us from being recognized as one of the Sacred 28? As the _oldest_ magical family in the UK?” Richard asks. “And come to think of it, we can’t even visit Diagon Alley or any magical place or dwelling without Hermione accompanying us. Remember when we tried to visit it the next day through the Leaky Cauldron? We could see it but we can’t get through the door like there is a barrier.” 

“And that is what we must find out,” Armand Granger says, cutting the beginning tension in the room surrounding the many questions popping in their minds after another question. “I think that the Obscurity curse placed on the family is either strengthening or evolving, either naturally or induced. There are many things that we must find an answer to, and information to locate and piece on this ever-growing… puzzle on our part.”

“So, we must know this Ronald Weasley and Arabella Figg,” Richard begins. “We must know what has happened to Minerva Merck McGonagall. We have to know everything about the Obscurity curse, and if we can reverse it or diminish its effects, the better. We must know what is happening inside the Wizarding World. We must keep Hermione and our family’s children safe. We must keep Magic alive.”

“This is our plan of action, then. Chiara, Lucia and I will take apart the blood curse. As curse-breakers and creators of charms, spells and curses, the Obscurity Curse will be our new pet project.” Helen Granger, Master Spellcrafter and Master Curse-Breaker, announces mischief alight in her eyes while looking at Lucia Le Blanc, Head Arithmancer and Runes Creation Master, and Chiara Zabini, Master Creator for Charms and Transfiguration. The three friends tackling another curse like a society function misdemeanor.

“Richard, Tweed and I will gather all the information about all witches and wizards around Hermione – in school, society, the Ministry and everywhere else. Same old routines.” Halvin Le Blanc, Master of Mind Magic, began. “Tweed will gather all basic information from the simplest to the tiniest,” Xavier Tweed, the Archivist nods. “Richard simplifies the web of who’s who and their connections, and all whatnots,” Richard Granger, the Spider, grins. “And I will peel their minds and souls of their darkest and innate thoughts.”

“Sounds good, mate.” Tweed commented while Richard high-fives Halvin.

“I will be looking into all other magicals together with my siblings and to know the land,” Alfred says. “I will have every Alpha look unto their charges.”

“Amara and I will be partners then,” Lady Madeleine Dolohov-Le Blanc, mother of Helen Granger and Halvin Le Blanc, says while smiling. “I will look unto their timelines and spatial presence to see how we should treat them.”

“And I will look through my magical eye for the weight of their souls,” Amara Potter, the Matriarch of the Potter main line, stated. “I will sort them like a fine-toothed comb. And will need an orb of magic the size of a knut.”

“Then we Sandro Scamander, Nikolai Romanov and Armand Granger will visit the ley lines all over UK. We must know the status of each magical points and how to break through, dispel or repair them. We must know the extent of the damages wrought by Albus’ Greater Good.”

“And it seems that we have an accord,” Armand silently thanking everyone for their ideas and presence. “Same time the week after?”


	6. Moment of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione scratches the surface of Dumbledore’s colors and visits Harry’s aunt’s home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

On the way to Hogwarts, Hermione thought of her dinners with her grandfather and the contents of Zelda’s report. She was thinking how she was under different charms, potions and compulsions for the past four months without her being aware of it. How did it happen to her?

Being ‘friends’ with Harry and Weasley meant that they are always together – in class, walking through the corridors, in the common room and even in the Great Hall. Granted she was always one of the few students up early and demolishes her breakfast before anyone could see her like Draco Malfoy.

_Was the potions on my meals? Did Ron put it himself? Through the house elves? The Hogwarts house elves loyalty was to the castle, as they were here even before it became a school. Or has their ownership been transferred… say to the Headmaster perhaps? I will need to read on that._

Professor Albus Dumbledore is also a puzzle to Hermione. The man with his twinkling eyes and grandfatherly nature especially to Harry was gnawing on her mind. There is something about him that she can’t put her finger into.

_His shields. I was not able to pry on his mind at the start of term yet being on his mind was like the slime bath competition that the twins once brought me to. That was sticky but fun yet the headmaster’s mind felt suffocating. So a tainted soul then… but how far?_

Looking to the passing sceneries through the window, Hermione was continuously searching through her mind of all the incidents that Ronald Weasley was near her looking for the specific timing of him slipping Amortentia to her. From the outside of the compartment, she is seen in deep concentration and everyone passing that could see her either snickers or out rightly laughs thinking how _swotty_ she was. 

Yet, Hermione is aware of everything because constant vigilance was running through her mind like a mantra.

XXX

Five months of the year has just pass Hermione with a blur and yet she is still on alert for anything. There were no incident except the _Dragon Rescue Escapade_ – she got detention at the Forbidden Forest, yes but it was just detention (with Weasley!) – but thankfully all through those months there was no reason for expulsion.

She was vigilant… constantly. It may be because of Dedalus Diggle who Ruru _excitedly_ tortured for information, Dumbledore’s many ways to corner her from time to time (seriously, he just appears in front of her) and Ron Weasley’s many attempts to slip her Amortentia _again_ (it was on her pumpkin juice!). Or just being a friend of Harry Potter.

Yes, she now considers Harry as one of her friends just like Neville. Both of them are now part of her “Friends List” which only has seven names for the past 11 years. She knew many magicals and would be sure to do anything she can to help them yet only those seven people were who she trusts. _She will die for them and them for her._ She may not be able to trust Harry’s judgment completely because of his impulsiveness (and Ronald’s constant whispering to his ears) yet she knows he has the emotional maturity beyond his age and that she could trust. 

There is also a constant presence of comfort in the castle which was not there the last year. It was this that made Hermione a bit comfortable being in Hogwarts and she knew that it was a result of the family meeting the day she left for school. She has the gist of the meeting and a little bit of particulars but she decided to keep it at the back of her mind not just for her safety but it is still incomplete, for now. 

While her occlumency shields are holding to Dumbledore’s _timely_ visits, she knows that it will not hold long if the headmaster or another legilimens forcibly enters her mind. She has inherited the natural affinity of her mother’s family to Mind Magic but she has only practiced it for six years and is still not perfect. She would still need another two or three years before her occlumency becomes as natural as breathing to her, _after all fortification takes time._

_But thinking the rest of the year will be uneventful was a load of kneazle dung!_ was now the running commentary in Hermione’s mind while approaching the third floor corridor behind Harry and Ron. _I should have expected it!_

They are going to _visit_ the third floor to ”prevent Snape from taking the Philosopher’s Stone” as Harry had put it. And Hermione is now seriously contemplating to _just accio the bloody stone_ to see if it is still hidden. 

They had passed _Fluffy_ barely atop the trapdoor, Ron was _nearly_ strangled by a Devil’s Snare, Harry was struck by flying keys, she almost slipped on _troll boogeys_ and now they are in front of a giant chess set. _What is the Headmaster thinking! Putting elementary magic as deterrent to thieves, bloody meddling King!_

But all Hermione’s thoughts could not (and shall not) be put to words because she is currently playing for her life. _Correction, Ron is._ Right, Ron is playing with her and Harry’s life as a chess set.

“I will not laugh about Mal and Baley’s loss on chess anymore,” Hermione mutters to herself. “If I came out alive out of this pesky chess board, I will not be laughing for losing on a game of wizards’ chess.”

“Don’t worry, Hermione we will come out of this alive, if not injured,” Harry said which made him cringe when he realized it. “As long as we win, we will be alive. Right?”

“I hope so, Harry,” was the only thing Hermione could say. Because she can’t tell Harry that she does not trust Ronald Weasley with her life… ever!

When the game ended (and yes they won) Hermione also shed a tear for Ronald when he was struck by the White Queen but paid no mind to it just yet because Harry has to get through the wall of fire Professor Snape erected as a barrier. Upon figuring the logic puzzle out, she was reluctant to give Harry the antidote to pass through to the other side of the fire – she wants to accompany Harry there – but was forced to give in at the end.

While fighting her instinct to come back to the potion’s room to accompany Harry, she came back to get to the chess room to get Ronald back to the corridor. She carried him back through the rooms and when she came to where the Devil’s Snare was, she asked the plant kindly if it could carry her and Ronald up to the trapdoor which it did without hesitation. While ascending to the trapdoor, Hermione was thinking that she will talk Fluffy to step out of it also.

It turns out, it was not necessary because the trapdoor was then opened by Professor Snape, the man they were after. He was standing there with Mr. Filch, Mrs. Norris and Fluffy.

“Where have you been, Miss Granger? And what happened to Mr. Weasley?” Professor Snape asked.

“I think you are already aware of the answer to where we have been, sir. Ronald was struck by the White Queen when he sacrificed himself as a Knight for Harry to checkmate the King,” Hermione explained.

“And Mr. Potter? Where is Mr. Potter now Miss Granger?” the professor asked.

“He is on the last room, Professor and I hope that he will come out injured,” Hermione said to which Professor Snape raised his brow. “At least we are sure that he is still alive.” Hermione adds wryly.

Professor Snape just hummed before jumping down the trapdoor to rescue Harry. While Filch still has his mouth agape upon seeing Hermione being _escorted_ by the Devil’s Snare.

“I hope that you would not tell anyone of how we came out of the trapdoor, Mr. Filch. I only asked it if it could carry us upwards after all it is a _magical_ plant,” Hermione said to the caretaker. 

He nods yet his mouth is still agape because the girl was talking kindly to him. 

“I am also grateful of our acquaintance, sir and I hope that it would continue on from this day. After all, I think Mrs. Norris really loves the catnips I am giving her.” Hermione said smiling to which the surly caretaker smiled as well.

After Hermione made an acquaintance of Mr. Filch and Fluffy, Professor Snape surfaced through the trapdoor carrying an unconscious and injured Harry. He then levitated him with Ronald to the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey and Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore are waiting. 

While Harry and Ron was being tended to, Professor Dumbledore sent Hermione back to Gryffindor Tower without any medical attention. She was not accompanied by anyone and by the time Professor Snape looked for her, she was already gone. 

XXX

The morning of their departure from Hogwarts, Hermione saw Dedalus Diggle again but instead of following her he turned to the opposite direction and nearly took a run for it. 

She was made aware of the illegal tracking and monitoring charms he put on her as well as the forced amoral bond between them. She also knows that it was purged and nullified by the family’s wards but it did not stop her from hexing him when she saw him during their return trip from Easter holidays. 

Add to it Ruru’s elfin contract placed on the wizard’s magical core that only releases the contracted upon death, Dedalus Diggle made sure to never cross path with Hermione again or even think about her. 

But making Diggle run for his life did not even lighten Hermione’s mood that day. After Gryffindor won the House Cup in a pinch from Slytherin ( _Dumbledore awarding 160 points at the last minute, he even congratulated Slytherin House before his announcement_ ), Hermione’s celebratory mood was dampened. 

She had been feeling sour since the night that Harry squared off with Lord Voldemort and Professor Quirell to just _pry_ the Philosopher’s Stone not just because she was sent to her dormitory without being looked upon but because she felt used.

She, Harry and Ronald were used by Professor Dumbledore not just to defend the stone but to lure Voldemort as well into the castle. A castle that was full of underage witches and wizards that could not defend themselves against anything. A castle that Harry considers home. _He made Harry lure Voldemort to the one place he considers himself safe._

A wraith Voldemort but Voldemort still. He was reduced to that state after he went for the Potters lives on the eve of Halloween. If Lily Potter casted an old magic when she stood in front of Harry, Voldemort should have been obliterated but he became a parasite, feeding off Professor Quirell’s magic. _And Albus just let him in into Hogwarts._

This train of thought spurred Hermione’s increasing disdain for the headmaster. At first, she only wants Albus Dumbledore dead but now she wants to destroy and break him bit by bit until he wants to die. He is not only Magic’s most despised wizard but a top contender as well for Hermione’s ‘hit list’ together with Ronald Weasley and Dedalus Diggle.

After the train arrived in London, Hermione bid goodbye to Harry, Neville and Ronald whom she shared the compartment with. Walking to the barrier she also waved to Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan while avoiding a gaggle of Weasleys and side-stepping the well-put Malfoys. She hurried to cross the barrier because she will be waiting for Harry to come out.

She wants to follow Harry to his address not only to see him safely home but also to satiate her curiosity as well on his living arrangements. 

Harry, for her, was too small for an eleven year old and was touch deprived which was evident when he flinches every time she hugs or just touches him. He also trembles when a professor raises their voice (mostly Professor Snape) which also dampens his confidence in his lessons resulting to poor performance in their classes. So, she made a plan to follow Harry once they arrive in London.

Seeing Harry came out of the station with a stout man and a bony woman, Hermione settled herself in the car and asked Alfred to follow the couple to their home. The couple together with Harry got into a grey family car and drove out of King’s Cross Station’s parking area. Alfred followed them until they stopped at a suburban village lined with identical houses and manicured gardens for miles.

Arriving at #4 Privet Drive in Surrey, Hermione and Alfred followed the Dursleys inside their home under a disillusionment charm. 

Stepping into the house, Hermione felt the wash of a monitoring ward and the slimy essence of Dumbledore’s magic. Hermione also felt the headmaster’s magic on most objects inside the house which she thought were for Harry’s protection. Then she followed her friend to his room and was aghast with what she saw.

Harry went to the cupboard under the stairs, opened it and then proceeded to close the cupboard’s door after. At first, Hermione thought that Harry would only put away Hedwig’s cage or his trunk but no he went inside and closed the door after him. _The cupboard under the stairs was Harry’s room!_

“Why is Harry rooming in a cupboard? This are his relatives, isn’t it?” Hermione asked confusedly. “Is this the reason why his growth is stunted? Are the professors aware of this or the headmaster perhaps?”

“That we don’t know for sure, my lady,” Alfred quietly said to his charge. “What I am sure of is that we are in the home of Vernon Dursley and Petunia Evans. The Dursleys are one of Magic’s guarding families and the Evans are Magic’s propagators for Potions, and both families was affected by the Obscurity Curse. From what I remember from the Magical Genealogy, Petunia is the sister of Lily Evans Potter, your friend Harry’s mother.”

“She is his aunt. That is why Harry lives here. But –“ Hermione’s words were cut off by Dudley knocking on the cupboard’s door.

“Freak!” called Dudley. “Mum says to get your lazy ass in the kitchen and start preparing dinner.”

Harry came out of the cupboard when Dudley left but Hermione was still stuck staring on it, her mind not catching up on what his cousin called Harry.

“Did he really just called Harry a ‘freak’?” Hermione asks to which Alfred nods. “But they were cousins. And he is magical as well, isn’t he?”

At this point, Hermione was already close to hyperventilating with her mind running for a thousand miles a minute.

“We do not know what made him call Mr. Potter that vile word, Miss Maia. But I give you my solemn magical vow that I will investigate it and will get to the root of this issue,” Alfred swears to Hermione. 

“But for now, we must get out of this house. Immediately. It is steeped in compulsions and hatred that it is already affecting both your magic and mind, young lady.”

Hermione could only nod before Alfred led her out of the Dursleys’ house and far away from #4 Privet Drive.  



	7. Through Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How was Harry’s life in #4 Privet Drive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

Harry thought that his life with the Dursleys was the worst thing that could happen to him. He still at least could go to school, has a roof above his head, could eat four meals a day and has warm, oversized clothes. But when he received his Hogwarts letter, his eventual life turned further to worst.

He was used to his Uncle Vernon’s hurtful words and a few slaps once in a while, to his Aunt Petunia ignoring him except when she calls him to do chores, and to his cousin’s taunts and occasional Harry hunting. But being hunted for your life by a wizard six times more than your age is Harry’s biggest dilemma ever since he came home for the summer.

He asked Professor Dumbledore, of course, if he could stay at Hogwarts for the summer but was denied because “it will be prepared for another year of school” as the headmaster puts it.

_“Your mother’s blood also will protect you from Voldemort, Harry. Your mother’s sacrifice gave you a protection that only your mother’s sister could give you.”_

It was the last words of the man before he went to the End of Term Feast after being released from the infirmary. And so, Harry respected that decision after all he still have the Dursleys. It couldn’t be worse, yes it couldn’t be.

In fact, as long as Harry remembers he does not _hate_ the Dursleys opposite of what Ron was spewing when he spoke of his ten years with them. He loves them in a way and he is grateful that they took him in. Also they are not that bad, there are many moments in Harry’s life that he felt was evident of their love for Harry as well.

“For example, there was my 7th birthday where Uncle Vernon gave me a cookie without reason or words. Or when I was five and Aunt Petunia bought Dudley and me two scoops of ice cream each. There’s also the books that Dudley gave me, I know that he really gave it to me because he is not fond of animals in general,” Harry was explaining to Hedwig one quiet night. “I know that they do care for me, in their own way.”

A few nights after, Harry laid on his cupboard’s bed while thinking of his day. He tripped on the hallway and spilled Uncle Vernon’s tea on his new dress shirt and he hit Harry. _Hard_. 

It was the first time that his Uncle Vernon actually hit Harry and he ended near the sofa. When he looked up, he could swore that he saw regret and remorse on his uncle’s eyes for just a moment before being replaced by disdain and righteous anger. _An anger that resembles that of a mob, without cause and is only followed because of the lingering atmosphere._

“Uncle Vernon is also working hard every day to provide for the family which technically includes me. Aunt Petunia also made sure that I am able to eat and grooms myself. And Dudley,” Harry says quietly, afraid of disturbing his sleeping family upstairs. “Dudley never _hunts_ me actually, he only does that when his gang of friends sees me. I know it, I could feel his hesitation to hurt me or anyone, actually.”

Harry whispered his words quietly, afraid that he might be heard and that another _unprecedented_ first happens to him… again. And Harry was right, if he only strained his ears and paid attention to the Dursleys’ home he might know that someone was indeed listening to him. Someone sinister and meddlesome that calls himself King.

XXX

Vernon Dursley is a man of his words and honor. He is also very much in love with his wife, Petunia and a loving and generous father to his son, Dudley. He also cared for his nephew, Harry Potter. And yet tonight, he hit the child hard after little Harry tripped and spilled his tea on his new dress shirt. 

He was not mad at the child, gracious no. He is mad with himself for losing control and hitting Harry. He is deeply disturbed of what he did tonight… his reaction was immediate and visceral. It was without precedence, his body reacted before his mind could process what was happening. _Like someone possessed._

Vernon clearly remembers the day he and Petunia took Harry in. They found him inside a basket on their doorstep, swaddled on a soft grey blanket with a gold accent and fast asleep. He has a letter on his hand addressed to him and his wife and it says that the baby’s parents, James and Lily Potter were killed the night before by Lord Voldemort, a murderer spurned by blood prejudice.

He had pitied the child, left alone on this world much earlier than wanted, and he decided then and there that he will be raising him together with his son Dudley and that they would be like brothers. They would never want for anything because he will work hard and ascend on his job at Grunnings and provide them everything. But his vision of a happy family with its new member never came to fruition… or even started.

A few days after they saw Harry on their doorstep, a man dressed in sapphire robes with a very long beard came to their home and blasted him to the other side of the living room. He woke up feeling like a pen of bulls stampeded on his head and with so much disdain for Harry Potter. It was then that everything Vernon planned for his nephew crumbled to dust.

He looked for the reason for his ill-feelings towards Harry but even after eleven years of searching his mind and sometimes heart, he could not find the source of that hate. And at times that he shows Harry that he also cares for him, his lips would just snarl and insult his dear nephew which is not what he wanted to do. And if he so only thought of Harry kindly, a buzzing noise then plays on his head making it hard for him to think.

Even so, Vernon Dursley still kept his word to little Harry Potter the day he took him in. _He will provide for Harry and give him a home._

He always try to keep his mouth shut when Harry is around so he would hear no hurtful words. He succeeds most of the time, yet it takes a lot of his concentration. He provided for Harry – clothes, food, toys, books – through a workaround of giving it first to Dudley. He cared for his nephew, only telling him off when he made a mistake and sometimes a slap in his hands if it was really an offense.

Yes, he cared deeply for his nephew but it takes a lot of thinking over and concentration to show.

XXX

Petunia Dursley nee Evans reads two letters before going to bed. It was her ordeal, she could never sleep if she has not read the letters every night, and thus she carries it with her wherever she goes. It had been her habit for eleven years.

The two letters were about her nephew, Harry Potter. The first one was from her beloved sister, Lily Potter _nee_ Evans and the other one is from Albus Dumbledore.

Both letters were received by Petunia on the same day, one clutched by Harry while sleeping on his basket and the other was found on Harry’s onesie pocket – a hidden pocket magically stitched on every clothing article of an Evans child. The letters have almost identical content yet its messages were not the same.

And tonight, Petunia has read Lily’s letter twice, three times, and then another time. She could not take the guilt she is feeling for seeing Harry hurt.

She wants to run to Harry, yet her feet was frozen and stuck near the mantelpiece just a few feet away. She wants to cry in anguish but no tears would come to her eyes and her heart is breaking for her little nephew.

Petunia cannot do anything against Vernon or Dudley hurting Harry. She could not defend him or even chastise them for it. She can’t even speak about it to Vernon, every time she tries to her tongue locks on the roof of her mouth preventing her from saying anything.

She knows that Vernon was controlling himself and trying to overcome his disdain for Harry, he was also looking for the answer why. Yet, she can’t tell him in any way. 

She tried everything, _writing to Vernon, drawing it on a surface, even telling him directly_ but nothing works. Both her hands were tied and her lips sealed. And Petunia is in despair.

But through the years, she has put herself to working through the compulsions against Harry on her home. She, little by little, was chipping away Albus Dumbledore’s slimy hold on her family.

Just this year, she has managed to dampen the listening charms the man put on their house’s first floor for _eleven years_. That means she could now move Harry from the cupboard to the second spare bedroom and far from the listening charm near the stairs.

She was also able to remove most of the _hate Harry_ compulsions on her and Vernon’s clothes. She and Dudley were able to cancel it on her Duddykins clothes when she visited him once at his school.

And this summer, she planned on working on the potions and blocks on Harry’s body. It would take a month to completely leave his system but it would give Harry a little boost on his magic.

Yes, Petunia has many things to do for Harry Potter and has now came to bed to prepare for a long day, Lily’s letter safely tucked on a red onesie with gold trimmings.


	8. Presenting Hermione

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione is presented as the Heir of the Most Ancient, Most Noble and Most Blessed House of Granger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling.
> 
> There are some familiar surnames here that is a nod to my favorite characters from different genres and used them as an inspiration. 
> 
> Thank you!

It took weeks for Hermione to recover from her few minutes at the Dursleys’ home. When they arrived at the Granger Hall, Alfred did not waste time from giving Hermione a very strong calming draught and a sleeping spell so that the young witch would not wake in nightmares. The morning after, she cried for a full hour feeling for Harry’s helplessness and has then ended into rage for how his relatives treated him.

She was asking for vengeance and was running out of her room for the Dursleys’ blood when Armand Granger saw her. Seeing the rage and the steely glint of blood lust on her usually vibrant eyes, he wandlessly shot her another sleeping spell coupled with his magic to calm her down.

When Hermione woke up, she saw her grandfather on her bedside and he explained to her the _perils of hexing first before asking_ which took Hermione in a fit but has greatly reduced her anger towards Harry’s family.

“What you are doing, _mon chere_ , is unbecoming of a Granger. We never act without thought, our family is still present because we only act if we have all the _facts_. And that is what we need, dearest,” Armand calmly says to his brazen granddaughter. “Facts. Hard, cold, irrefutable facts. Think before you act, Hermione because the consequences of your actions may be dire not only to you but to Magic as well.”

Hermione, chastised and very much calm, has never felt so embarrassed of herself ever since she was born. Her grandfather, loving and supportive as he is, has never told Hermione off all her life, he would always give her advices and imparts his lessons through stories and knowledge, but he never chastise. And Hermione knew that what she did was really wrong.

“I-“Hermione wanted to apologize realizing her oversight but was cut off by Armand hugging her tightly. 

“No need to apologize, dearest, I have experienced what you have felt,” Armand says while lightly brushing Hermione’s hair. “I followed my anger and it has made one of my friends not to trust people anymore, only himself. And it has carried on throughout his life and that I deeply regret.”

And Hermione needs no elaboration, she has learned her lesson. And she hugged her grandfather gratefully. Knowing this as Hermione’s way of saying ‘she has understood her lesson and will be reflecting on it’, Armand stood to attend to his duties.

“I have sent Remy to dig up on the Dursleys’, chere, so I highly encourage you to keep your calm and broaden your prospects,” Armand tells Hermione. “And if another thought or feeling triggers your _Gryffindor brashness_ , take a moment to remember Arianna Dumbledore’s fate. A young powerful soul lost much earlier.”

XXX

It was the end of July and Hermione’s presentation to the Granger family and its allies comes near. On the eve of the Spring Equinox, every magical family attached and allied to the Grangers gathered at The 20th Room of the Granger Hall to witness the rite of passage for the of age members of the family.

The 20th Room was designed by Sherlyn Granger, the first daughter of the House, and engineered by her husband, Sirius Armand Black, to accommodate the ever growing family and its allies. It was fashioned in a circular shape and looks like an amphitheater inside and has a modified extension charm that allows the room to expand and create a space automatically that would comfortably accommodate the number of people inside. 

The room was specifically used for family meetings, galas and gatherings that happens all-year round and on occasion as the Council of Five’s court. As the House of Granger married into and accepted its new members from all over the world, the sentient room keeps a steady appraisal of its House’s members making a seat available for the new and of age members while vanishing the seats of those who died, left, could not be found or betrayed the family to storage. Currently, it has 3,000 seats opened.

Yet on tonight’s gathering only 300 seats were taken. Since the Obscurity Curse struck the House of Granger and the other magical families, the then bursting room was missing many of its occupants. Some of the seats owners has died waiting or where lost throughout the 150-year war, some went away to not be affected by the curse but most of them had forgotten as an aftereffect of the curse Dumbledore unleashed to the magical families of United Kingdom.

But The 20th Room knows that its seats will be filled again, not just the open ones but it will be filled to the brim… soon and has gladly welcomed the soiree that will change the course of the already written history.

XXX

Spring brings new beginnings and a breath of life from the smoldering summer heat and around the world the start of spring is celebrated but the House of Granger instead celebrates on Spring Equinox. It is a statement that Magic is equal and balanced like how the day is of equal length with the night and that dark and light magic co-exists in every magical being. And on the evening, after the gaily celebrations of the morning, the family held the _Soiree of the Heirs_.

The soiree is a Granger’s rite of passage to which they are introduced not only to the magical society but also to the Council of Five – Magic’s court. Every child of the family who has turned or will be turning thirteen years old on that year is given a soiree and the fate from their births are revealed to them by the Scribe of Fate.

Their souls would also be measured by the Master of Death and would be given the exact scale of their magic. And lastly, the Right-hand of Magic would give them their gifts from Magic allowing the children their full potential.

Outside the room, Hermione stood waiting with her cousins Blaise Zabini and Malcolm Le Blanc. Both she and Blaise, a Slytherin from her year, will be turning thirteen years old this year – Hermione on September 12 and Blaise on October 12 – while Malcolm turned fifteen on June 12 and an incoming fifth year in Durmstrang Institute. Malcolm did not take the rite when he was thirteen as their family was mourning the loss of his younger sister, Anabella.

They are the only three for this year as all the children of the present families has taken the rite three years ago while the next rite will take place after three years for the Romanov, Grey and Dragomir children. But if they succeed in reversing the curse and bringing all the magical families back in the fold, the next rite would hopefully take place next year for the Potter, Malfoy, Thomas, Dursley and Longbottom heirs.

When the bell tower chimed eight o’clock, The 20th Room opened its doors for Hermione, Blaise and Malcolm in a blinding light.

When they entered the room, the three children walked straight to the middle of the platform with eyes closed and stopped in front of what they know as the Shrine for Magic. But as Hermione gathered her senses, she was shocked to see nine people sitting instead of two. 

She knows that three people were expected to grace the rite, as it is a bedtime story for every child, until five years ago that reduced them to two. But having nine magicals on their rite meant something is about to change and Hermione hopes that it is for the better.

She could also see the full Granger family and its cadet branches to the right of the shrine. Next to them are the Le Blanc, Malfoy and Potter families from France, the Romanov, Evans and Molotov families from Russia, the Borgia, Zabini and Pascual families from Italy, the Reyes and Cordero families from Spain, and the Sinclair family of Languedoc.

While to the left of the shrine are the Krum, Ivanova and Dragomir families from Bulgaria, Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Ushijima and Miya clans from Japan, the Dao, Zhen and Ching families from China, the Zobias from Africa, the Castellanos of Greece, the Grey, Krumwell, Brown and Dagworth-Granger families from Northern America, the Azana and Rastugi clans from India, the Pennings with the magical Alphas and the lone members of Scamander, McGonagall, Dursley and Tweed families. 

Armand Granger walked to the platform and opened the soiree but Hermione tuned it out because her mind was running for miles of what this occasion would bring. She was bracing herself for what was to come and was startled when she heard the bell tower chimed the half hour mark and both Blaise and Malcolm poked her.

“My dear family and friends, members of the Magic’s Council, it is my honor to present to you the new Granger bloods!” Armand announced to the 300 magicals seated on the room. 

“Malcolm Halvin Malfoy Le Blanc, son of Lucia Azana Malfoy and Halvin Dolohov Le Blanc, the Scion of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Le Blanc!” Malcolm stepped forward and raised his wand hand. 

“Blaise Armand Shafiq Zabini Granger, son of Chiara Le Blanc Shafiq and Othello Zabini Granger, the Scion of the Most Blessed and Ancient House of Zabini!” Blaise stepped forward as well and raised his wand hand. 

“And Hermione Jean Le Blanc Zabini Granger, daughter of Helen Dolohov Le Blanc and Richard Zabini Granger, the Heir to the Most Noble, Most Ancient and Most Blessed House of Granger!” Hermione stepped forward and raised her wand arm. 

Together they bowed in respect to the Council with their wand arms crossed over their chests. A grey ring of light went around the three of them and erupted into different colors. Hermione, Blaise and Malcolm straightened upon hearing the applause ringing in the room. 

They have passed Magic’s test and are accepted to the fold as members and will be allowed access into the room to attend the family meetings with rights to full disclosure of information. The three teens were giddy with excitement and are looking forward to their future forage in magic.

Then three of the Council’s members stood. 


	9. The Fates' Bargain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione, Blaise and Malcolm received a task from the Fates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

Three of Magic’s Council stood. Three ladies stood and walked to meet Hermione, Blaise and Malcolm at the bottom of the Shrine. Three ladies who looked like they are in their mid-thirties dressed in flowy dresses reaching to their ankles in lilac, rose pink and champagne. Three beautiful women that screams magic from within. The Fates stood regally in front of the three teens before taking their seats.

Armand cleared his throat to call the children and told them to take their seats in front of the shrine. They complied gingerly, still in shock from realizing who the rite’s guests were.

“Don’t worry, dear ones, we don’t bite,” Lady Death jokingly said and everyone in the room laughed. The laughter broke the three heirs from their shock and has made themselves comfortable on their seats.

When Hermione looked up to the other members seating in the shrine, Hermione was confused to see seven people instead of six but put her curiosity on hold because Lady Magic stood up to speak.

“My beloved children, we are here tonight to witness the passage of three new bloods to Magic’s gates. From tonight onwards, they will be allowed access not only to our knowledge and information but to our fight against the meddlesome King. The Soiree of the Heirs has been the same for centuries but tonight, I want you all to know, will be the first on history that will pave the way to your freedom and to Magic’s perpetual existence.”

Lady Magic sat and nodded to Armand, who in turn stood. “My family and friends, tonight is an honor bestowed upon us not only because of our loyalty to Magic but because we have been called to honor our words. And the Council’s members are here to witness our answer to that call.” 

Every magical seated nodded their heads in understanding. “It is only those of their own volition that Magic would allow to prepare for the war. And always remember that we honor every decision. The first meeting will be opened on the 15th day of August.”

“Gathered here tonight are the Three Fates, the Four Elders, Magic’s Assassin, the Fate’s Scribe and the Master of Death.” Armand continues gesturing to the people sitting above the shrine.

“On the first tier, Lady Death, Lady Magic and Lady Fate.” The Three Fates nodded to the resounding applause. “On the second tier, Salazar Granger Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Black Gryffindor and Helga Pennings Hufflepuff,” the Hogwarts Founders waved. 

“And on the third tier, Magic’s Assassin Sherlyn Granger,” to whom everyone bowed their heads, “and the Fate’s Scribe Helen Granger and her husband, Master of Death, Richard Granger.” 

Magic’s Assassin stood to address everyone in the room, she is more than a thousand years old but she looks like she just passed her thirties.

“I am glad to know that all our children are safe. Tonight, my children, I would like you to know that I will be passing my duties to my heir,” Sherlyn Granger said to the shock of her descendants. “It has been a tumultuous millennia and though my old bones are still not creaking, I would like to spend the last of my mortal years finding my Siri and to bring him home back to our family.”

All the shock has vanished from the room in exchange of sadness. Everyone knows of their ancestor’s quest to find her lost husband of 1,000 years. Sirius Armand Black vanished from sight 151 years ago on the evening of Samhain when he dueled with Albus Dumbledore to protect Armand Granger’s grandfather from an ambush.

“You all know about the Legacy heirs,” Sherlyn continued before looking to Hermione. “They are children born to the Granger House every 60 years that are required to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to renew the castle’s magic and wards. They are chosen by Hogwarts Castle to attend each house. And the main line heirs must be sorted to Slytherin but that did not happen. Why is that, child?”

Hermione knew her decision to follow Harry Potter to Gryffindor would put her in a very sticky situation and has prepared herself to explain that decision for a year now but all the words flew out of her mind. Luckily, Blaise still has his mind screwed on tightly.

“It was because of Harry Potter, Nana Shen.” Blaise answered for Hermione. 

“Explain,” their ancestor said with a furrowed forehead.

“Harry Potter, was the Boy Who Lived, Nana.” Hermione answered softly which got a nod as a reply. “Harry James Evans Potter, he is the son of James Potter and Lily Evans who died on October 31, 1981 from the Killing Curse from Voldemort’s wand.”

“We first met him six years ago. He was eating an ice cream with his cousin and aunt,” Blaise explained. “He was known as the child who defeated Lord Voldemort from when he was a one-year old because the Killing Curse rebounded on him. He is also currently Albus Dumbledore’s poster child in the wizarding world.”

“He was considered for Slytherin but he insisted to Enil that he wants to be in Gryffindor because of what Ronald Weasley said to him during the train ride to Hogwarts.” Hermione continued and her voice gathering conviction. “I saw him first on one of the compartments and his mind was still intact although misty but after he was sorted, his mind was foggy and was constantly replaying a false memory. And that is the reason why I followed him to Gryffindor.”

“Very well. I would accept your decision… for now,” Sherlyn Granger said. “But if you want to participate in the war, you must be sorted into Slytherin because only then you could have full access to your magic.” To which Hermione nods her assent. 

“There is also the Fates’ Sister – a witch born to magic who possesses an exact balance of both dark and light magic who only comes to this world every 55 years. And you all know what has happened to the last three.”

“Albus Dumbledore killed all of them,” Armand Granger said for the benefit of the three youngest members. “Alila Dursley Thomas, Lyra Malfoy Black and Arianna Reyes Dumbledore.”

“Correct,” their ancestor said and she looked back to Hermione. “And that is why I highly urge you, my dear child to be in Slytherin before Dumbledore knew and have you taken from us.” 

These words shocked not only Hermione but everyone on the room as the Fates’ Sister’s name is only known to the Council and to the Granger Head of House. But now everyone present knows the Fates’ Sister and that revelation did what Sherlyn Granger wanted, it galvanized the Granger family and its allies on one goal – _protect Hermione at all cost and destroy Albus Dumbledore_.

“And now, that Sherlyn has her say, I would like to give the children my gifts,” Lady Fate said jokingly.

“But instead of your births fate, my sisters and I will give you a task that will help you not only through this war but to also make your own fate. We, The Fates and our Parents, Mother Nature and Father Time, are giving you three, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini and Malcolm Le Blanc free reign on your fate.”

“We made this decision because your fate, Hermione and Blaise, were already written by He-Who-Calls-Himself-King which allowed my sisters and I to finally _interfere_ ,” Lady Death said, grey eyes alive with mischief. “Because the House of Granger has kept itself to the affairs of the muggles, he became arrogant and thought that he now has free reign on the magical world of the United Kingdom.”

“He really thought that he will be able to rule the world,” scoffed Lady Magic. “But now that we all stand against him, we will obliterate him – no blood, no bones nor ash of his will remain in this plane and beyond. And with this family hidden in plain sight, you will be breaking him and all that he has built, bit by bit until it is too late.”

“Malcolm Halvin Malfoy Le Blanc these are my gifts,” Lady Death called to him. “Gather the souls of Magic’s hit list and hold them until Tartarus cries for judgement. Give us the darkest soul to exist in this plane, his was tainted with thirst for power that was never his. Then a soul darker than of Merlin’s and Morgana’s, his heart was full of envy and covets everything that outshines him. And lastly, give the snakes’ beacon of light his whole soul back, stolen from his youth and was drowned in hate and oppression, let the Prince of Snakes raise his head again."

"Deliver me the soul full of envy and you will get one wish. Restore the shattered pearl and you will win your heart’s desire. Hand me all three and I will let Hades know he has a new student. So mote it be.”

Malcolm stood to accept a black scroll and a box made from ocher from Lady Death. The scroll contains the Fate’s wishes, her conditions and the three names of the souls that he needs to gather while the box contains one gift each from the Council of Five that would help him with his tasks.

“Blaise Armand Zabini Granger these are your gifts,” Lady Magic began. “There are many souls in the dark because the truth was hidden from the world, bring these souls to the light and they will all march for Magic. And these three souls are your keys: the ignored because the father wants the son away from his misdeeds, the wounded because her mother has eyes for another man, and the maligned because he is raised to be slaughtered."

"Open the eyes of the father and you will get that information. Heal the wounded and your heart will find its home. Bring all three back to the fold and the lost can come back. So mote it be.”

Blaise was crying when Lady Magic handed him a white scroll and a box made from narra. Like Malcolm’s his scroll also has the Fate’s wishes, conditions and three names and the box has his gifts. But Blaise is already determined to complete all three.

“Hermione Jean Zabini Granger these are your gifts,” Lady Fate said. “Your name and fate has been written in history even before it began and I could tell you that it is far worse than death. I have erased it and now you are free to take which ever route you like."

"In turn, I want you to overwrite the fate of three lost souls: the fallen god who Albus drowned in the darkness with the Snake Prince, the lost king who was taken from his family and made to suffer a fate worse than death, and the scared dragon who wants to only emulate his misguided father."

"Return the god of light to his pedestal and they will be free. Guide the father of the dragon and your friend will have his family. Bring the king back and I will open my library to you. So mote it be.”

Hermione, still astounded of Lady Fate opening her library to her, walked slowly to the shrine to get a red scroll and a bamboo box. Like her cousins, it has the wishes, conditions and the three names but what really shocked her was her Nana Shen’s eyes. It was shining with unshed tears and hope that her beloved will soon return.

“We already broke the restrictions of the curse on everyone who is gathered here tonight.” Lady Death said. “You can now talk to each other in public without worry. And those that you will be welcoming to the family’s fold will be immune from the curse as well after a cleanse.”

“Once you knew the names keep the scroll in the boxes, they will only open to your magic.” Lady Fate said. “Protect your minds from intruders and work for your goals with each other.”

“Do not fret on the timing, it will just come.” Lady Magic said. “Just prepare and know that success only comes to those who prepared. Never worry and never put everything on your shoulders, we are all here to support and help you.”

“The family will also help you.” Sherlyn Granger said. “You are well-versed in all the basics of each magical branch and further guidance and training will be given to you to master your magics. And that is also true to all of you,” she said to the younger members of the family. “Do not be afraid to ask.”

“We all have our tasks to perform and places to remember,” Armand Granger said to his family. “There will be no blood, no bones nor ash for the enemies of Magic when the rubble clears.”

And cheers broke out from all corners of The 20th Room to celebrate the steady flow of Magic and the downfall of the meddlesome King and his kingdom.


	10. Preparation 101: Your Mind is a Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another shield is added to Hermione and Blaise mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

Since their younger years, Blaise and Hermione were always seen as a set. Growing up together and being each other’s playmate and confidant, they consider one another as a twin with Malcolm as their older brother. But when Hermione opened her Hogwarts letter, the curse dampened their closeness and almost caused a rift on their relationship. 

But when both found out of the tampers on their magic and the illegal potions on Hermione, they forged a much stronger bond and has thrown themselves into research. They were looking for ways to better communicate with each other covertly without triggering any restrictions.

They have also started looking for places they could meet under Dumbledore’s nose. And since the soirée, when the Fates broke the restrictions of the curse, they have enjoyed talking freely to each other again.

The week after the soirée, Hermione and Blaise sat waiting for Sherlyn Granger in the solarium. Their ancestor personally oversees the magical training of every member of the family, from beginning to its mastery. Being Magic’s Assassin and alive for more than a thousand years, she has amassed a multitude of knowledge and has a perfect grasp of magic. 

“Remember our first accidental magic?” Blaise asked Hermione, they were reminiscing the lessons they have with their ancestor. “She thought us to enjoy and embrace it because it is a part of us.”

“Yes, and the control lessons,” Hermione laughingly said. “Instead of controlling, we befriended our magic. Nana thought we’re bonkers!”

Blaise laughed as well. “And our trips to London, we displayed our magic so openly yet no one nabbed us.”

“Well, we told them it was science, isn’t it?” Hermione said remembering the times they almost got caught displaying magic. “It was very Slytherin of you, actually.”

Blaise grinned at that memory. “Oi! We’re both Slytherins because you still changed the man’s hair to puce when I was explaining!”

That made Hermione tear up with laughter, she has forgotten that one incident. When her vision cleared she saw the bronze plaque quoting their Nana’s words about muggles and magic. 

_There are three types of muggles – the believer, the envious and the snub – but if you could explain your magic in their own terms and give them their kind of security, then they would leave you alone._

They always takes their ancestor’s lessons to heart, one lesson especially. Hermione clearly remembers when they turned six years old and their Nana started training their minds for Occlumency and Legilimency. It started with daily meditations, organizing and classifying their thoughts and memories, and knowing every nook and crevice of their mind. 

Two years after, they know their mind and brain like the back of their hands, and she started on their shields. When they entered Hogwarts, both Hermione and Blaise can occlude masterfully and can enter any mind without any triggers. 

“How are your days, my children? Did you have a lie in?” their ancestor asked which startled Hermione from her thoughts. 

Blaise and her looked to the door, expecting their Nana standing there, but no one was there. They stood up from the chaise they were occupying, Hermione to the door to look at the hallway and Blaise to the french doors opening to a small garden, to look for her but she was not around and yet they can both swear that they heard her. 

“Nana, are you there?” Hermione called while looking to the two ends of the hallway. When she did not saw her there, she went into the solarium and called to Blaise. “Baley, is she there?”

“No, Maia. She’s not around here.” Blaise answered walking back from the garden. “But I know I heard her.”

“Me too. But how can we hear her if she’s not around?” Hermione asks while ticking the details on her fingers. “She is not in the hallway. She is not in the garden. The fireplace did not flare. And our wands did not vibrate.”

“A form of telepathy? Or something akin to legilimency? Because we are not in a trance after all,” Blaise said continuing his twin’s thought. 

“Oh! Then could it be!?” Hermione said excitedly bouncing on her toes. “How long is its range then? Can we use it?”

“I think we can but we need to test how far could it go! Maybe we could even use it on the war!” was Blaise’s reply before he felt for their ancestor’s magic through the house while Hermione started to pull for references on her mind’s library. 

This excited chatter on a new use of magic was what Sherlyn Granger walked into when she entered the solarium. And it made her smile while fondly looking at her grandchildren exchange their ideas in lightning speed. 

“Now, now, children, do calm down,” she called to Hermione and Blaise. “I would be teaching you everything you want.”

They turned smiling to their Nana and has readied for a new lesson on Mind Magic. They both sat at the chaise, eager and ready to listen. 

“How’s your occlumency, Hermione?” Sherlyn asks her heir. “Is your field of stars enough to confuse Albus? Can you now make false memories? Have you overcame your darkness?”

“I am not able to tell if the old man is confused of my shields, Nana. He has timely visits all year round and I always made him see either my younger self reading muggle books, attending muggle school, helping my parents with their dental practice or me sitting under a tree and gazing at the stars – which were all true memories as you have taught me,” Hermione proudly explained.

“And yes, Nana, I can now create false memories either vivid or foggy, Mother tested me last week when that ghastly vase broke,” she adds sheepishly. 

“Nice trick, isn’t it?” Sherlyn fondly said, well aware of Hermione’s shenanigans and Helen’s love for ghastly things. “I hope you kept it on the right space because your mother might ask you again… one of these days.” 

To which Hermione paled and made her grandmother laugh once more. “And you, Blaise? Do you now have a natural shield? And can you now adjust the clarity of your false memories at will?”

“Yes, Nana. I have forgone the Zabini library for the African savannah feels,” Blaise confidently said. “The animals are my keys and the memories are in the bottom of the River Nile. And I am now able to adjust the clarity of all my memories.”

“Well done!” the Granger’s ancestor proudly exclaimed. “Now, your new lesson is about a way to communicate through your minds, which the two of you were chattering about.”

The two children pouted but their Nana waved them off by answering the theories and questions they formed before she arrived. 

“Yes, Blaise it is a form of legilimency and Malcolm has mastered it a year ago,” she said making the young wizard perk up. “It also has an unlimited range, Hermione, except from different planes as long as both parties knows each other’s magical essence,” she said answering the range question.

“And it could be used two-ways as long as one party is a legilimens but both of them must have a strong hold of their minds because it needs deep concentration.”

“This form of legilimency is known as _communicare_ which, unlike projection and telepathy, does not interfere with someone’s thoughts or mind without consent. It’s a two-way communication system that allows one to talk to someone either like on a telephone or face-to-face in one place.” 

“You have learned how to know one’s magic and how to index it on your mind like a phone directory, and that is fundamental. Like a telephone, you call the person’s magic by saying _communicare_ and their name, it would then ring on their end signaled by a tapping sound on their mind, and unless they pick up the line, it would not start.”

“Picking up the line?” Hermione asks. “Was that when I held it to stop the tapping sound, Nana?”

“Yes, dear,” she replied. “And I know it felt like not giving consent at all. Remember, children, the mind has a different form of consent. It doesn’t need to be verbalized, if you recognize it then it already has consent. And that’s how Albus can keep on visiting your mind.”

“Explicit is essential but an implied one is enough,” Blaise said earning a nod from their ancestor. “To be able to have explicit consent, we have to conjure it into something like an owl or a telephone, which would only answer if we lift the phone or has taken the letter from the owl.”

“Is erasing them from the directory enough to take back the consent, Nana?” Hermione asks to which Sherlyn shook her head no. “Then the directory must be re-indexed, a reset first before creating a new index.”

The two children kept on talking about the technicalities of the new magic they just learned. She is well aware that they are already testing it and it made her remember her husband and knows that if he is present he will be proud of their descendants. 

“Now that the new is out of the way, let’s add another improvement to your minds,” she said interrupting Hermione’s plan to reset her mind and Blaise’s note taking for his references. “Did you really think that it ends there? It is not even lunch, my dears.”

That earned her a wide grin from her grandchildren. “Now that you have a fine grasp of false memories, I want you to create a _lure_ that would pull any legilimens into viewing it. Make that lure look like your memory bank, mix false and routine memories in it, then put in an intermediate shield like drowning.”

“This shield should make them think it is where the money is?” Blaise said with a furrowed brow. 

“Maybe not just think,” Hermione adds. “They should feel, think and believe that is where the money is and not a trap.”

“Yes, very much so, dears,” Sherlyn Granger said, pride in her voice. “Work on that at the same time with your mind’s darkness, they would be very willing to help. Befriend them and you have the most powerful weapon against legilimency, the legilimens’ mind against them.”

“And the most ideal form of darkness is what exactly?” Blaise asks confusedly. 

“Dementors, of course,” Hermione answered standing up from the chaise. “Come on, Blaise let’s visit the lagoon. Long meditation ahead.”

And the two children left the room after they hug their Nana Shen goodbye while rapidly talking about how they could improve their occlusion for the coming weeks. 


	11. Preparation 101: Voldemort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is Voldemort?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

On July 30th, Hermione sent her gift to Harry – a broom cleaning kit and three new shirts that exactly fits him. She also sent a small self-refilling basket of food to make sure that he could eat without worry remembering Harry’s story of being sent to bed without eating.

A week after she received a letter from Harry thanking her for his gifts and saying that he is currently staying with the Weasleys after Fred, George and Ronald rescued him from starvation and being locked on the Dursleys spare bedroom. She also accepted his invitation of shopping for their school supplies together with the Weasleys.

She has informed her parents about Harry’s invitation and they agreed to accompany her. They will be visiting Gringotts as well to see Doroy, the Granger family’s account manager.

But a week after she received Harry’s letter, Hermione still feels guilty about her gift. She knows that giving the self-refilling food basket is the right choice but the accompanying listening and monitoring charms were not. 

She tells herself that she did it for Harry but she feels like she is doing what Dumbledore did to her friend. She knows that she could not act rashly as her Papa Armand has put it, they still lack facts about the Dursley situation but she knows those charms could help them gauge the real situation. 

And Remy said on the last family meeting that he is on the middle of dismantling the monitoring and blood ward around Harry’s home while replacing it with a stronger family ward that does not leech on Harry’s magic which has to appear identical to Dumbledore’s magical signature since there is a constant stream of witches and wizards that monitors the house and the Dursley family.

Based also on Remy’s first visit to the house and observations, it seems that the Dursleys are under a very strong compulsion to hate Harry and all magicals even though the family was one themselves. There are also listening charms all around the house and the monitoring ward crafted to monitor every movement within that informs Dumbledore of even the smallest pulses.

XXX

Two days before Hermione and her parents left for Diagon Alley, Armand Granger opened his 21st Room to another family meeting and has invited Hermione, Blaise and Malcolm to attend.

When they took the rite at the Soirée of the Heirs, they were given not only access to every magical knowledge but the right to hear, know and help make decisions that would concern them.

They are still considered children, but the adults know that they have valuable information about their surroundings as well and could now understand the weight of responsibility a Granger shoulders.

Gathered today are Blaise, Hermione, Malcolm and their parents, Amara Potter, Armand Granger, Tweed and Alfred. Nikolai and Sandro were currently visiting Ireland to see the ley lines while Lady Madie accompanied their ancestor, Sherlyn Granger, to Basle to visit one of the family homes.

“Welcome, children, I’m glad to see that you will never be caught eavesdropping again.” Tweed said to Hermione, Blaise and Malcolm when they entered the room. 

This made the adults laugh on their seats and the teens to smile sheepishly, after all everyone knows the trio’s notoriety to listen to everything. They usually maintain indifference around everyone but are actually a great pair of ears and eyes because of their curiosity and keen observations. 

When the three new members took their seats, Tweed began the family meeting. 

“You all know that we are making a compilation on everyone in the wizarding world. At first our purpose was to only know who Albus’ henchmen were but what I found out, I think, would also help Helen, Lucy and Chiara with the curse and has revealed many magicals that needs our help.”

“And what help should we give them, Tweed?” Armand asked with a raised eyebrow. “The families in the magical world only forgot about us, the guarding families, who are situated outside the wards of the Statute of Secrecy.”

“That was my thought at first as well, my friend,” Tweed answered. “But from our compiling, I saw that most of these families were dying and losing their magic not only because of the Obscurity Curse which cut them off from most of the magicals, that only allowed them to marry within a very small circle, but also because of Albus cursing their families.”

“And that is the least of our problems, father,” Richard said. “We also found traces of _nulla_ and _mosmordre_ being casted on these families which explained how Voldemort became a strong presence.”

“Isn’t Voldemort and Tom Riddle the same person, Papa?” Hermione asks, remembering the wraith living in Quirell’s head and Harry’s explanation of Voldemort. “The headmaster said to Harry that he and his Death Eaters are responsible for most of the deaths in the wizarding world.”

“Yes, Tom Riddle has been known as Lord Voldemort since his sixth year in Hogwarts but they are not the same person, Maia,” Armand explained. “Tom is a wizard, a living and breathing wizard while Voldemort is an entity, a presence without body nor soul.” His wand then vibrated, he stood up and went to the anteroom to receive a message. 

“Voldemort is the result of _nulla_ and _mosmordre_ being casted on a living soul. The first is a curse that seals the soul and takes the magical’s ability to think or feel for themselves leaving the body a dry husk.” Amara Potter continued to explain in Armand’s stead. 

“And the last one is an _owning charm_ , one of the foulest kind of magic to exist, that allows one person to own the soul of another, with a part of their strongest emotion inhabiting the body and animating it, the soul imprisoned and cannot do anything against it. Cast alone and the emotion like hate would corrupt the soul of the victim, but together it creates Voldemort, a thinking and breathing entity, thirsty for blood and destruction.”

“If Voldemort is only a presence, why does my classmates’ parents call him the Dark Lord?” Blaise asked confused. “Who is the Dark Lord then?”

“Well, to be a hero we need a villain,” Armand said walking back to the room. “A hero is never born, children, they exists because there are villains to be vanquished.”

“If Voldemort is the villain and it is only a presence, then the Dark Lord should be another person, living and breathing.” Blaise said putting his thoughts to words. “But who could it be?”

“Your headmaster,” Malcolm answered which made Hermione and Blaise whipped their heads so fast to look at him. “To be known as a hero, he needs a villain. A villain that could spurn both fear on one side and anger on the other. What better than a blood thirsty and thinking entity?”

“On one of Diggle’s memories, Ruru saw the headmaster blasting things in anger that night,” Alfred said his head bent slightly to the side, thinking. “He said that ‘the mudblood chit has the nerve to cast old magic’ followed by another blast then ‘cursing her empty body was not even fun anymore’ before the memory stopped because he blasted him as well.“

“There are only two old magic that can be casted before death, _sacrificio_ and _eros_ ,” Tweed explained. “Sacrificio is casted when you give your life for a stranger while Eros is for someone you love, both is to save their lives forfeiting yours. And both magic leaves a trace on the living, Eros being the strongest and longest.”

“Sacrificio’s trace lasts until the living has attained their fate while Eros ends only in death.” Amara explained looking to Hermione and Blaise, answering their unspoken question. “Both magic also obliterates the one it was casted against - _body, soul and magic_. And they cannot be called to life again because they do not and will not be existing anymore.”

“But Harry saw Voldemort this year,” Hermione said taking everyone’s breath. “He was a wraith and was on Professor Quirell’s head, he was a parasite. The professor was killed when Harry put his hands on his face and he crumbled like dust.”

“He-he was on our professor’s head?” Blaise said, his eyes bulging in shock. “The-the t-turban? That turban which smelled like garlic and a dead rat when he passes you!? That was Voldemort!?”

“The goat allowed a possessed professor to teach you? Voldemort was with you all year round!?” Chiara said her voice getting higher every word she speaks. “What the hell was running on that fucking headmaster’s head!?”

The room was in uproar, every person getting angrier every second with what Dumbledore allowed in Hogwarts.

Helen and Chiara was arguing with Armand saying that they want to pull Blaise and Hermione out of Hogwarts because they could have died. Halvin and Richard talking about tracking charms and protection spells to keep the two children from harm.

Amara and Alfred wanting to storm the castle to check for more dangers. Blaise was hyperventilating because of the what-if scenarios running on his mind while Malcolm tries to calm him down. 

But Hermione has not said anything nor argued with her mother about pulling her out of school or even raised her head which did not happen since she told her family of Voldemort being a wraith. This did not escape Tweed’s observation realizing that there is more information from Hermione. 

“What are you not saying, Maia?” He asked quietly but clearly which silenced the room. “Is there more to your story?”

Hermione nodded and raised her head to look at Tweed who nodded his head and gave her an encouraging smile. She told them of Harry’s first time meeting Voldemort at the Forbidden Forest drinking unicorn’s blood. Then of Harry’s suspicion of Professor Snape, her finding her pumpkin juice spiked with Amortentia again, and Ronald’s and most of the school’s prejudice against Slytherin saying they are evil wizards.

She also told them of Harry finding the Mirror of Erised before Easter, of what happened in the trapdoor, of Dumbledore sending her back to Gryffindor Tower without medical attention, and him awarding 160 points to Gryffindor because of what they did against Voldemort. Her family hanging to every word she said like it was a bedtime story except it was all true and it could have killed them.

Blaise then told the family of his experience in Slytherin – the lingering blood prejudice, the bullying of other houses especially Gryffindor, his cousin being called a mudblood, know-it-all, and swot by his housemates though they grudgingly respects her intellect, and the recruitment for Death Eaters, Voldemort’s merry band of wizards. 

He also told them the castle’s magic was steadily weakening, siphoned away to another source. And his observation that his housemates are likely under compulsions, they act differently and much harshly from when they are in the common room and all of them has varying levels of magical exhaustion when they didn’t do anything. 

Both Hermione and Blaise’ words made the adults worry for the children, Hermione for her safety for another year and Blaise for his words which completed the Dumbledore puzzle. 


	12. A Visit to Gringotts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and her parents visited Gringotts a day before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

After Hermione and Blaise shared their school year in Hogwarts, Tweed ended the family meeting with refreshments – lots of them. This has restored the energy of the children who were afraid to see the reactions of the people they love. It also gave the adults the opportunity to escape their minds’ overloading of information in the meantime.

And the day continued for everyone. Hermione and Blaise practiced mind and defensive magic with Malcolm while pestering him about his crush who he already proclaimed to be his future wife. Helen and Chiara went to Paris to shop for new dresses and robes. Halvin and Lucia visited their Wiltshire home. Tweed going back to his London office with Alfred who will be meeting Remy. And Armand Granger went to the family archives to visit Ruri.

The next morning, Hermione and her parents went to Diagon Alley to visit Doroy in Gringotts. It was a day earlier than what she and Harry agreed to but the family decided after the Patriarch visited Ruri that they must appear as muggle as possible to the wizarding world the next day.

This would show to Dumbledore and his henchmen that they have forgone magic and is not interested in the magical world, and would also emphasize Hermione being a muggleborn to everyone.

_After The Fates broke the restrictions of the Obscurity Curse on the family, Helen and Richard went to Diagon Alley the next morning. They tried entering first through the old entrance near a bank that serves both magical and muggle customers and they are able to get through, as always. They made their way to Vertic Alley before turning to Horizont Alley which they could not access before even with Chiara or Hermione._

_When they are able to turn and step their feet into the alley, both husband and wife jumped with joy before walking the length of the alley browsing the shops. They reached the corner where Gringotts stood and hesitated for a moment before turning to Diagon Alley to try if they could step in as well. When they were not blasted out of the alley, they grinned to each other before visiting the shops that they liked. Once satisfied they made their way out of the magical world through the Leaky Cauldron._

_A few days after they tried entering through the Leaky Cauldron expecting the barrier but everything was cleared until they went home through the old entrance. They tested visiting other magical sites and villages like Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and the Ministry of Magic and they were able to pass the magical barriers that has banned them to enter in the earlier years._

Hermione and her parents entered through a flower shop that leads to Horizont Alley. The family forego their usual smart casual attire for a formal one which is expected from the Sacred 28 and has also donned their resplendent black robes that transformed them from a wealthy muggle family to the most powerful magical family to exist. 

“Perception is power, Hermione,” Helen Granger would always say when she wants to skip her personality development lessons. “You can sow fear or respect when you are dressed accordingly, your enemies broken before you even began. Use it to your advantage, you will win a war without raising a finger.”

And Hermione saw the look of awe and deference from every witch or wizard that they pass while walking to Gringotts. Those in their way stands aside to let them pass, and those who walks past them turned their heads to look back wondering who they are and if they had invited them to their parties.

After all, Horizont Alley is only frequented by the famous and wealthy and the purebloods are both.

XXXXX

When they neared Gringotts, Hermione saw a goblin waiting at the end of Horizont Alley. He was checking his pocket watch when he raised his head and proceeded to bow to her parents.When the family reached him, they also bowed in greeting to the goblin and they walked together to Gringotts.

Reaching the stairs, Hermione and her mother bowed to the warrior goblins guarding the entrance after her father and the goblins clutched their right wrists and bowed with their left arms on their back. 

They entered the bank’s marble walls with the goblins busily catering to the witches and wizards inside the bank. Their goblin guide accompanied them to a black marble wall to which he tapped his finger eight times before it slid open revealing a well-lit floor with sunlight flooding through the huge windows. He led them in and the wall slid back to its place. They walked for a few minutes before stopping to a red door where the goblin knocked twice.

“Master Doroy, your visitors are here,” the goblin announced. The door then opened to reveal a man who looked like Alfred but with sharper features and long blond hair. He bowed and thanked the goblin before leading the family in to a room with an elevator as its only feature.

He led them to the elevator, closing the door and pushing one of the five buttons there. When the elevator descended, he spoke.

“Thank you for visiting me, Rick and Helen. I haven’t seen you or any of the family for a long time now. Even Armand and Alfred, I miss the Hall so badly,” he said in a deep baritone voice. “And I see that my young mistress has grown well. It’s my honor to serve you, milady.”

“And it is my honor as a magical to have you on my side, Sir Doroy,” Hermione said after she curtsied to Alfred’s older brother. “If I may, how long were you away from the family?”

“You’re allowed to call me Doroy, milady,” the elder elfin said. “And it has been ten years since I last saw you or any member of our families. I could send my reports through a charmed parchment invented by your maman but I am not able to get out of the magical world. But on the night of the summer equinox, me and all of the goblin nation felt a change in magic.”

“The Fates broke the restrictions from the blood curse, Doroy.” Helen explained to her friend. “The meddling king wrote fates for many magicals in the stolen codicil, he rewrote the fate of those who will be a hindrance to him and killed those who were meant to vanquish him before they were born.”

“Meddlesome, isn’t he? Wherever magic is, he meddles. Even Gringotts,” Doroy said shaking his head. “Poor children not able to get access to their full magic, an opportunity denied to everyone especially those they call muggleborns. The flow of information was restricted and false, and most of the new bloods joining us are either ignorant or too self-catering that they don’t respect our traditions as magicals.”

“Both sides are actually ignorant, my friend,” Richard said while Doroy readied to open the elevator door when it stopped. “That meddling wizard played both sides and now we are all suffering.”

They have arrived at a grand cavern adorned with ionic columns. They silently walked to the end of the cavern before turning to a river where Thief’s Downfall flows from above. They crossed the stone bridge, allowing themselves to be drenched by the waters from the falls that dried instantly after they crossed the bridge. 

“I welcome you to the goblin nation, Richard and Helen Granger and Heir Hermione Granger.” Doroy announced while standing in front of a stone wall that opened and bathed them in white light. When Hermione opened her eyes, she saw a metropolis for goblins. 

Together with Doroy, the family walked to the end of the main street and stopped in front of a dwelling made from white marble. Atop the stairs stood the goblin leader Fergus and his wife Styl. The wizard, witches and elfin bowed deeply in respect of the goblin leader receiving a bow of acknowledgement in return. 

Leader Fergus then walked down the stairs and stopped on the fourth step, standing eye level to Richard. He clutched Richard’s arm and pulled him to a one-arm hug. 

“I have missed you, my old friend. It has been a long time since we have seen each other, we must catch up on many things,” Leader Fergus said, grinning widely. The two released each other from their hug and the two kept chatting while climbing the steps to the goblin leader’s home, Hermione and Helen following while Doroy came back to the way they came. 

“Helen, it’s been a long time,” Styl said hugging Helen when Hermione and her mother reached the top of the stairs. “And little Maia, how you have grown, you truly are the daughter of Helen.”

“Thank you Leader Styl,” Hermione replied her cheeks in flame. 

When they entered the goblins’ home, Hermione does not know where to look because the whole house was covered with information her eyes could not all see in one glance. They gathered and sat at a stone table and accepted refreshments offered by their hosts. 

“I am glad you visited us much earlier, Rick. After the magical disbandment on summer equinox, contacting you was the first thing that I wanted to do.” Fergus said to which Richard listened to attentively knowing his friend meant business.

“It is about your Hermione, the man who calls himself king put up an illegal marriage contract for your daughter. He used his headmaster position to act as her magical guardian and had the contract approved by our new blood goblin. But the senior goblin saw her name and did not approve the contract, but it is now on our file.”

“May I know the magical’s name, Leader Fergus?” Hermione asked, her jaw set in a tight clench. 

He pressed an embedded button on the table. “Call me Toto Fergus. You are Helen’s daughter indeed, youngling. You have her temperament and it is still a puzzle to me how did Rick woo her to be his wife.” He said while gesturing to her father and then a rolled parchment popped in his hand. 

“This is the marriage contract filed for you by Headmaster Dumbledore.” He said with a scowl and literally spitting the headmaster’s name. “Open it and read the terms as well, young one.”

*********

**Contract for Future Magical Marriage**

**This is a contract for a future magical marriage between Hermione Jean Granger and Ronald Bilius Weasley, both of magical lineage that will be effected two years after them reaching magical adulthood. **

**As a muggleborn, Hermione Jean Granger allows her guardian Albus Wulfric Brian Percival Dumbledore and/or Molly Margaret Weasley to manage her wealth, inheritance and properties both magical and muggle through Gringotts Bank. **

**She also gives consent to give the following allowances from her account:**   
**_5,000 Galleons yearly to Albus Dumbledore_**   
_**2,000 Galleons yearly to Molly Weasley** _   
_**1,000 Galleons yearly to Ronald Weasley** _   
_**500 Galleons yearly to Dedalus Diggle** _

**She also allows Albus Dumbledore and/or Molly Weasley and/or Ronald Weasley to withdraw from her account any amount, any time.**

**This contract is entered this 15th day of July, 1992 by the undersigned.**

**Albus Wulfric Brian Percival Dumbledore**   
**(Guardian of Hermione Granger)**

**Molly Margaret Weasley**

**Ronald Bilius Weasley**

**Witness:**   
**William Arthur Weasley**

**Griphook Bedor**

**Approved:**

*****

“Bloody meddling wizard!!” Hermione roared while Richard reached for the contract before his daughter burn it.

“Ronald Weasley?!! Are you kidding me?! What is with that prejudiced, self-serving git that he kept on meddling with my life?!! Spiking me with Amortentia and then this!! He has no right and business with my life!! It’s my life, my decision!!”

“There are many wizards and magicals that I could choose from!! If I would choose my wizard, then I’d have Draco Malfoy, thank you very much!!! He’s handsome and a lot smarter than Ronald Bilius Weasley!!”

“Should we prepare a betrothal contract, dear?” Richard asks his wife quietly with Hermione still raging about Dumbledore scheming for her life. “And who is Draco Malfoy?”

“Draco Malfoy is a pointed face ferret with platinum blonde hair and really, really smart! He’s snarky and a prat! But at least I’ll have blonde curly haired children!” Hermione unknowingly answered. 

“Well, that answers the who,” Helen said to her husband before turning to Hermione. “Maia, dear would you like us to prepare a tentative betrothal and marriage contract with Draco’s family?”

“I would love that, mom!” Hermione replied immediately before realizing what she said and all that she’s been saying the whole time which caused her to blush furiously. “Did I just say that I like Draco Malfoy?”

“Yes, dear,” Styl answered, her face splitting in a grin. “You practically shouted it at the top of your lungs. Be glad that we are so far underground because if not the whole of magical London would know.”

Richard pitying his beloved daughter who was blushing in mortification called to Fergus. “Hey, Ferg could you see if Hermione is under any bonds with that Ronald Weasley? That child’s name keeps popping the past year and I hate to strangle the wrong child. The Weasleys do have a large brood.”

“Of course, Rick. Let’s head down and visit Healer Vasta, shall we?” Fergus answered rescuing his poor niece from her mother and his wife who were already planning the wedding of the millennia. 


	13. In Diagon Alley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione visits Diagon Alley as a muggleborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

After the family visited Healer Vasta, they bid goodbye to their friends and made their way home. The goblin healer has put a protection ward on her that would nullify all illegal potions, charms, compulsions and blocks after she rid of the illegal contract. 

It was a fun and informative visit for Hermione except for the constant well-wishes from every goblin they passed for her declaration of liking Draco Malfoy and choosing him for a husband. She really wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Her mortification doubled during dinner when her mother asked Chiara Zabini if she knows a boy named Draco Malfoy of all things. And her aunt – very much knowledgeable of who everyone was – excitedly answered Helen’s question and basically told her everything she needs to know about the Malfoys.

“Wow, Maia that torch is still burning? How long has it been?” Blaise said, grinning widely and teasing, and very much informed of her infinitesimal crush on his best mate. 

And that’s what totally did Hermione in. Everyone asked her questions about the boy even their ancestor, who told her that their family mate for life and only likes those their magic favors.

And the ground then swallowed Hermione.

XXXXX

Hermione woke up in her bed the next day. Her brows furrowed when she saw her room thinking at first that it was just a bad dream and no one still knows of her infatuation for the blond prat except for Blaise. But her mind stilled when she saw the clothes hanged in her bathroom door.

It was muggle and very sensible like all the clothes she have on her school trunk and no resplendent black robes in sight. And her memories from yesterday surfaced.

_Visiting Gringotts with her parents, meeting Doroy, Toto Fergus and Tata Styl for the first time, illegal marriage contract to Ronald, raging that she’d rather have Draco Malfoy, the cleansing ritual with Healer Vasta, the family dinner discussing about Draco, her fainting._

_She fainted!_ Hermione realized the reason why she’s in bed. _“A cleansing ritual, or any magical ritual, takes a great toll on our body and magic. And it is recommended that you take a rest at least a day after you undergo it.” Healer Vasta told her before she began the ritual._

 _So that’s why she fainted, her body needs rest._ Hermione thought and then it hit her. _She shouted to the goblin nation that she likes Draco Malfoy! And her parents were there! And then Blaise… he outed her!_

“I would kill that blasted cousin of mine!” Hermione said, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and dread, falling back in bed. “Oh, what do I do? He doesn’t even know I exist. Wait, he knows I exist. But he doesn’t want me!”

“Maia dear, are you awake?” her mother called from her door. “Please go to the bath and prepare, or we’ll be late and Harry will be there first.”

She got up from bed thinking her mother already left then she heard her speak again. “And don’t worry about your Draco, Maia. Your father already drafted a betrothal contract and I am already working the details for your wedding.” 

Her mother said leaving Hermione gobsmacked and her mother’s laughter ringing through out the hallway when she went away. 

XXXXX

As they have planned the day before, Hermione and Helen are standing atop Gringotts staircase, waiting for Richard to come back from exchanging muggle pounds to galleons. They were dressed sensibly and very muggle in order to stand out in the crowd while showing their wealth through their jewelry. 

Helen and Richard wanted to showcase a shallow exterior to further exaggerate their personalities but Hermione protested and told her parents to only show they love to learn and books. They can show their manners being ingrained from childhood but their love for learning and innate recluse became a hindrance in assimilating with their families.

If Dumbledore looked into them, he would only see their magic as that of a Squib (their magic masked as they were both homeschooled) and would ensure that he can use them in his plans to have Hermione obey him. They know that the headmaster wants Hermione to be a part of his brood, it will be a huge slight to the Granger name.

Hermione looked at her watch to check the time and when she looked up she saw Harry’s unruly jet black hair in a sea of redheads. She looked to Helen and nodded. The show is about to start.

XXXXX

“Harry!”

Harry heard his name being shouted and knows that it was Hermione’s voice but he can’t see her, only the Weasleys telling red hair.

Another shout of his name and he looked up further and he saw her in Gringotts standing at the top of the staircase. She was waving to him excitedly but the woman next to her seems lost and frightened of the goblins standing at the entrance of the bank.

“Ron,” he called to his best friend, “there’s Hermione and her mother. They’re in Gringotts.”

He pointed to the mother and daughter before running to meet them. Hermione met him at the bottom of the stairs and jumped to hug him. He stiffened for a moment (not really getting used being hugged) before melting into his friend’s arms. Hermione was like a mother to him, she cares and looks out for him, and he trusts her judgment and knowledge explicitly.

Hermione released him from her embrace and he looked up to see her parents walking down the stairs to meet them. _They’re like royalties walking down to meet their subjects. Wait, where did that come from?_

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Hermione introduced him. “Mom, Dad, this is Harry Potter, one of my friends from Hogwarts. Harry, these are my parents, Doctors Richard and Helen Granger.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Harry,” Helen Granger said warmly to him. “Hermione told us many things about you.”

“And congratulations for being the youngest seeker in a century, whatever that is,” Richard Granger said to him, patting him in his back.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. It’s my pleasure to meet you, too.” Harry replied before gesturing to Ron who now stood beside him. “And this is my best friend, Ronald Weasley. And this is his family.”

“Arthur and Molly Weasley, Percy our house’s prefect, Fred and George, and Ginny, she’s an incoming first year.” Harry introducing the Weasleys pointing each one out. “I am staying with them this summer and they brought me along to shop for our school supplies.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Molly and Arthur,” Helen said smiling widely at the sight of many children, “And you children, thank you for welcoming my Hermione for her first year of school.”

“Oh, nonsense Hermione is family now,” Molly said to Helen before looking at the children. “Now, children we will be splitting up to complete your supplies fast. Harry, Hermione and Ron. Fred and George. Percy and Arthur. And I will go with Ginny.” She looked to Helen again and asked if they want to accompany her.

“There is a bookshop I saw when we entered Diagon Alley earlier, what was its name again?” Helen said while looking at Hermione.

“Flourish & Blotts,” Hermione answered.

“Oh, yes that. Could we just meet up there after you take the children shopping for supplies?” Helen said. “I was not feeling well since this morning and I hope, Richard and I could grab a bite and tea at the Leaky Cauldron?”

“Oh, of course dearie. Arthur will walk with you, of course.” Molly replied smiling, and Harry could swear he saw her eyes gleam predatorily. “We’ll meet you at Flourish & Blotts to buy their school books.”

After agreeing to meet in front of the bookshop after two hours, Hermione, Harry and Ron went to Madam Malkin’s for a new school robe for the boys. They also visited Scrivenschaft to buy parchments, new ink pots and quills, Magical Menagerie for Hedwig’s owl pellets and the store next door to refill their potion supplies. 

On their way to Flourish & Blotts from Florean Fortescue’s they passed the sign to Knockturn Alley and Harry remembers what happened to him this morning.

_Ash fell from the Weasleys’ fireplace when he stepped into the floo and he was not able to clearly say ‘Diagon Alley’. Instead of the Leaky Cauldron’s fireplace he ended up inside a shop instead._

_He opened his eyes to a curious shop, full of different objects and his magic felt alive there but his mind is telling him to run away from the place. He stood up to leave the shop but he heard the chime from the door signaling that a customer entered. He quietly backed into a corner near the door and was shocked to see Draco Malfoy entering with who looked like his father._

_The older Malfoy went to the counter and talked with the owner and he overheard him say that he was selling a few items from his house because “Arthur Weasley was busy raiding houses and poking his nose into other people’s business” and that he doesn’t want to be found with some items. Then he saw his classmate Malfoy nearing his hiding place and he purposely banged the side of another shelf before running out of the shop._

_He kept running because he was afraid of what he saw outside the shop, it’s obvious that the alley was for dark magic. Also because a few hags and drunkards were pulling him from every direction. It was luck that Hagrid walked in and the witches and wizards circling him dispersed immediately._

_Hagrid accompanied him to the back of the Leaky Cauldron where some of the Weasleys were waiting. He was then swamped by Molly Weasley in a bear hug that he thinks surely broke his ribs._

He shared that now to Hermione while Ron walks with them and who has already heard the story. Ron said earlier that the older Malfoy may be selling some dark objects from his home, as the family was known to be dark and rumored Death Eaters. And now he has said that he will tell his father about what Harry saw at Borgin and Burkes so that he can arrest the Malfoys.

But Ron’s words did not interest Harry, instead he was curious of Hermione’s reaction. Her face was wearing a very strained smile while Ron was talking and Harry has a feeling that her patience is nearly snapping. But when Ron said he wants his father to arrest the Malfoys, her eyes hardened and became pools of chocolate. 

It was just for a moment and Hermione has a smile back on her face when they arrived at the bookshop but it confirmed a theory he usually shakes his head about. Hermione likes Malfoy, not just like but really likes him. He always catch her look at Zabini longingly and as a sister looking out for her brother, but with Malfoy it was different. 

He just noticed it once while they were eating lunch at the Great Hall and Hermione was sitting beside him. She looked up from her book to see Malfoy laughing at the Slytherin table with his friends. Harry also looked up and saw that it was a genuine smile and not his usual smirk and that’s when he noticed Hermione’s face. She was smiling like seeing Malfoy smile made her day but her eyes tells a different story. It shines with resigned acceptance and Harry doesn’t know why.

But now he knows and the reason is currently standing in front of him, sneering and insulting him while his father was also sneering at Arthur Weasley. The Malfoys arrived after Gilderoy Lockhart has pulled Harry for a picture for the Daily Prophet and both father and son started posturing against their enemies like peacocks which Harry all tuned out.

He only snapped away from his thoughts when Arthur Weasley punched the elder Malfoy and the man retaliated with his fists as well. _Two wizards fighting with their fists, now that’s something you don’t see everyday!_

But it was not the most interesting thing for Harry. It was Draco Malfoy standing in front of Hermione, as if protecting her from the two punching wizards. 

_Yes, Draco Malfoy, pureblood Slytherin is protecting Hermione Granger, Gryffindor and muggleborn!_ He so wants to take a picture of them and maybe give it to Hermione. 

But the scene already ended when the shopkeepers has broken the men apart and the Malfoys left the shop. Thereafter, Harry, the Weasleys and the Grangers left for the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. 


	14. The Order of the Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's see the other side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world of Harry Potter was created by and belongs to JK Rowling. Thank you!

After shopping for her children’s school supplies, Molly Weasley has prepared her family’s dinner much earlier. After meeting the Grangers that morning, she was excited to attend the Order’s monthly meeting.

Molly, like her parents and her brothers, has been raised to believe and support Albus Dumbledore. And she firmly believes that the man is what their world needs because he keeps giving opportunities to those who he believes in, people who are loyal to him and his cause. And she will help her leader any way she can.

After dinner, Molly and Arthur readied to attend the Order’s meeting at the Potter Manor in Godric’s Hollow.

It was one of the properties that young Harry inherited from the vast Potter wealth and has served as the headmaster’s residence and Order of the Phoenix headquarters for eleven years. But Harry has no knowledge of his inheritance except the money his parents has left him on their family vault, and if Molly has a say in it, the child would never know.

Sensing all the children to be in their rooms and fast asleep from the dreamless sleep potion she slipped on their drinks, Molly signaled to her husband that everything is set. And they apparated out of the Burrow to meet with their leader.

XXXXX

Minerva McGonagall entered Potter Manor after apparating at the edge of the wards earlier than expected. She walks with purpose, and knows that she only has half an hour before the rest of the Order’s members arrives.

Earlier that day, Minerva slipped after her bath and bumped her head a bit harder. She woke up in the middle of her bathroom a few minutes later and thankfully she has no other injury except a little bump in the head. But she could not remember anything and when she looked at herself in the mirror, she panicked.

 _She looks and feels old and she could see that years, no decades has passed without her remembering anything. But that was impossible, just yesterday she just came home from her first year as a Transfiguration professor in Hogwarts and someone visited her that night._ Minerva sais in her thoughts. 

She went out of the bathroom and dresses quickly. She then went to her night stand and pulled the bottom drawer that contains pieces of parchment and a silver pin. She pierced her finger and let three drops of blood into the parchment and it transformed into a pull up door. She opened it and pulled out a thick red tome.

The tome contains a record of everything she did and has happened to her life and all that she has witnessed. The tome is gifted to every McGonagall child when they turn one year old and automatically accompanies them wherever they are. It only opens to the owner’s blood and disappears when they die.

No one has opened it through their lifetime as far as she knows because there was no need to. But Minerva now needs it and her eyes are flying through the tome. Her eyes widened when she saw the year of the last entry yesterday, 1992 which means that there is more than a four decade gap on her memory. But her shock turned to anger when she saw the date she remembers well.

And she is now in her way to the manor’s library to ask her visitor from forty-nine years ago. But before she could open the library door, she heard someone apparating behind her. She turned abruptly to know the intruder but Minerva only saw twinkling eyes before her world turned to black.

XXXXX

It was nine in the evening when the Order of the Phoenix began its monthly meeting in the library of the Potter Manor. Every member is present, as always and Albus Dumbledore is very pleased.

To his right sat those he fondly calls his lieutenants – Dedalus Diggle, Dorcas Meadows, Molly and Arthur Weasley. Then to his left are the members of his Order – Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, Arabella Figg, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Caradoc Dearborn, Benjy Fenwick, Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, Ellen McMillan and Charity Burbage.

They had many members before the First Wizarding War started but after the Dark Lord was vanquished by Harry Potter and the world was at peace, their numbers dwindled. But that is alright with him, he only needs a handful of people to do his dirty work and the rest would just follow and agree to what he says.

He only trusts himself and what he says is absolute. He did many a terrible things before he got where he is and his plans for the Greater Good is nearing completion. 

He only now needs to know how to kill Harry Potter without harming the soul inside him and he can openly rule the wizarding world.

 _But that could wait, he has years to think about it._ And he returned his attention to Ellen McMillan’s report on the pureblood’s upper society. 

It seems that Abraxas Malfoy has died, as planned, and Theodore Nott is suffering from a respiratory disease that the healers could not make a head nor tail of. After Ellen finished, Molly stood up and she told them of her meeting with the Grangers that morning. 

“Both her parents are squibs, Albus and are creatures of habit. They are the last of their lines as every one in the family has died out.” Molly said before handing out an earing that Helen dropped and one of Richard’s cufflinks. 

“But they are extremely rich and are very afraid of the magical world, they only knew about it from their parents and was not able to enter it until Hermione received her letter. They have practically lived their lives as muggles until this time.” Molly continued. “They even asked me if I could give them assistance and guidance about their daughter’s magical education.”

“Ah, that is good news then, Molly,” Albus said knowing that what the woman said is the truth, Molly was his apprentice after all like her parents and the most loyal member of his Order. “I see that my worries have been unfounded but it is better to be sure.”

“The Grangers is an ancient family and they are magic. Just a little interference from them and everything we worked for will be in shambles.” He continued before raising his goblet to the table. “Let’s drink to the demise of the Grangers and for another peaceful year ahead. And I trust you, Molly and Arthur to guide them with all your heart.”

All drank from their goblets except Albus and his four lieutenants who only took a sip, all five not needing to take Zefir’s Wine – magical world’s most powerful imperio.

XXXXX

A few miles away from Potter Manor, in the ruins of James and Lily Potter’s house, a disillusioned body stirred to life for the first time after eleven years. It has sensed a change to come for his old friend and it hopes that it would finally free Abraxas from his soul’s prison. 


	15. Tails and Bugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Diagon Alley and after for the Grangers.

When they entered the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, Harry, the Grangers and the Weasleys took their seats on a table near the bar. The adults continued chatting until their food arrived while the children talked among themselves. 

Ron was telling them about the new Nimbus broom he and Harry saw displayed at the Quidditch Quality Supplies. He was wildly gesturing and accidentally hit Richard’s arm. The older man waved his and Molly’s apologies and just told him to be careful. 

Then after they finished their food, Helen stood up to visit the loo and Ginny stood up when she returned. But before Helen can sit on their table, Ginny was pushed by a passing wizard and she collided with Helen. Arthur apologized while Molly chastised her daughter to be careful. 

After the lunch hour rush, Hermione, Helen and Richard stood up to go back to muggle London and bid goodbye to the Weasley family and Harry. They also thanked them profusely for accompanying them and has expressed their interest for future correspondence with the family.

“See you at the station, Harry! Bye Ron and Ginny!” Hermione called before leaving the Leaky Cauldron.

XXXXX

The Grangers walked from the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron to the next block where there car was parked. From afar they looked relaxed and just enjoying an afternoon stroll after a heavy lunch and that is what was Remus Lupin was seeing while following the family. And it seems that they don’t even know that they have a tail as their hearts was beating in a steady rhythm.

What he doesn’t know is that he is also being followed by Remy, the Grangers tracker and bodyguard the whole day. He has been following the family since they entered the Leaky Cauldron and his eyes always takes a wider perspective to make sure that his family never comes to harm.

He saw the Weasley matriarch discreetly cast a confundus charm on Helen when she asked her in front of Gringotts which he dispelled easily. He also saw the look of greed on the Weasley patriarch when he saw Richard’s watch. He also saw the utter loathing in the Weasley girl’s face when Hermione jumped to hug Harry.

He also casted a shield on the couple when Molly sent a knockback jinx on them inside the bookshop. The jinx deflected and hit the older Malfoy when Arthur only tried to push him. He also put the younger Malfoy in front of his young mistress as added protection from the fistfight that ensued. And he never missed the glee showing on Harry’s face when he saw his classmates.

He also saw how Ron went under the table after he knocked Richard’s arm. And Molly bending down the table when her daughter left for the loo. And he is now following the young werewolf who was seating near the door facing muggle London.

All in all it was a great day of tracking for Remy.

XXXXX

Remus Lupin followed the Granger family to their home in Hampstead from London which was also the same address based on her Hogwarts letter. Remus saw that they lived in a suburban house as Minerva told him and yes there were no magical wards erected. He stood to watch their grey Mercedes enter the house’s driveway satisfied that the Granger family was as muggle as they come. 

When the family entered the house and his keen eyes saw them settle in the living area to watch from the TV, Remus walked to their neighboring house and knocked to ask the owners a few questions about the Grangers.

When the door opened, Remus quickly confunded the old lady who opened it and invited himself in. He did the same to the other houses that surrounded the Grangers. 

As a werewolf, he could easily sense if a person was lying to him but all the people he has asked has the same answers and it was all truthful.

He found out that the Grangers lived in the same house for sixteen years and they were dentists who has a clinic in London. They were out for work for most of the day and always stays at home with their daughter at night. 

Their daughter Hermione was a smart girl who also attended the same muggle school with their children two blocks away. But she was now separated from the group because she was invited to attend an exclusive boarding school in Scotland.

There were also a few details about the girl mostly seen reading under the oak tree in front of the house, or walking home from the public library on the other side of the street, or being dropped home by a Rolls-Royce which was owned by her friend’s family. 

Convinced of the truthfulness of the neighbors’ accounts and the Granger family living a muggle life, Remus Lupin disapparated away.

XXXXX

When Richard heard the crack of their tail’s apparation, he stood up and made his puppets move like normal people.

The one looking like Helen and Hermione went to the kitchen to start dinner while his doppelganger would go to the back garden to pick zucchini and tomatoes. When the puppets started to move, Richard made himself invisible before walking up the stairs to the library.

When he reached the room, he saw that Helen and Hermione has finished stocking the books to the now overflowing shelves. Hermione’s old governess’ desk was now set near the fire with a computer and behind it were shelves of dental books, medical journals and newsletters, organizers and a three day old newspaper.

There were also comfortable armchairs and a window seat that signifies the family’s love for reading. The walls was also filled with plaques and awards for dentists and medals and certificates from Hermione’s muggle school. And its newest addition was a framed letter from Hogwarts telling Hermione was top of her class for her first year.

The house owned by two spinster sisters were gone and replaced by that of a family of three. The house was owned by Hermione’s governess who died last year and his sister sold the house to move back to the US. They retained many of the old but well-kept things to add to the veracity of a family living there for sixteen years and just added a few personal touches. 

Since Hermione has mostly stayed in this house since her childhood and has indeed attended the muggle school, the neighbors memories are mostly true. Helen and Richard just mixed most of those truths with a few false memories to create a veritable story in their favor. 

Satisfied that no stones were left unturned, Richard waved his hand and restored the wards around the house and that of their neighbors.

This ensures that their neighbors will not be suspicious of the magicals near them and would also protect everyone from attacks both magical and muggle. He already erected it before they left for Diagon Alley that morning but has not enough time to cloak it because the werewolf was already waiting for them. 

The wards were the same as that of the Granger Hall with a few modifications from Helen where she added an automatic tracking and monitoring charm to anyone who is not a family or an ally of the Grangers and a cloaking mechanism that made it muggle safe and undetectable to any magical especially Dumbledore.

After the 50-mile vicinity ward was erected, the Granger family left their doppelgangers and apparated without a sound to the Granger Hall.

XXXXX

The family of three appeared silently outside of the gatehouse and they entered the well-lit home like a family who just got home from a stroll. They passed the wards and Richard then side-along apparated his wife and daughter outside Medusa.

They walked passed the ward and felt the tingle of its silent purging and has continued on until they reached the cleansing ward before climbing to the Entrance Hall.

The family headed to Armand’s 21st Room and upon entering, they saw everyone waiting for them. They gave their greetings before taking their seats and Armand began the family meeting. 

He pressed the depressed button on the head of the table and an overhead projection started. It showed eight black screens but the sounds of children laughing and someone cooking were clearly heard. It was mostly the same then a bang and a girlish scream was heard in the room. 

“Ginny, stop throwing your food at George,” was the first words the entire room has heard from Molly Weasley, “Fred get your brother down, right now!” 

“Oh, Ron dearie here have another pudding. Harry have another serving, eat young man, you’re too small for my liking.”

And the constant chatter of the Weasley family was heard throughout the room for the next minutes. 

“So it really works even in magical households,” Sandro was the first one to comment. “Great piece of technology, Helen. Where did you got that?”

“It was Hermione, Blaise and Malcolm’s idea, Sandro.” Helen said proudly. “Richard and I only wore it.”

“We got the idea from the bugging systems of muggle law enforcement.” Hermione shared. “At first, we wanted to only attach a listening charm to an object like compulsions, but there’s always a faint trace of magic left that could be found if you are looking for it.”

“The Miya brothers suggested to embed another object inside a container, that absorbs traces of magic,” Blaise explained. “Like to use a plastic made container instead of the usual cases that has traces of metal that will alert metal detectors. This way even if one is looking for traces, there would be none.”

“And Malcolm designed and crafted the container, and he also crafted the jewelries.” Hermione said proudly, Malcolm blushing. “We asked Ruri to help us to shrink the camera to a pinhole and make it work.”

“Well, muggle technology is a wicked thing.” Tweed said admiring the other pair of Richard’s cufflink. “We use magic in my line of work as an advantage against the enemies of the state, so I think it will be just as prudent if we use the creations of those they hate against them.”

“Yes, that is a sound suggestion.” Sherlyn Granger said grinning wickedly. “Besides, we are outside the statute wards for more than a century, that makes us an exception.”

They then heard the crack of apparation and another for arriving into another place. Malcolm tapped the earring twice and they saw outside Molly’s pockets. They saw them approaching a red bricked manor from the side. 

Blaise twirled his wand in a small arc and pointed to the world map on the room’s wall. Armand waved his hand and the map came to life.

Blaise then wrote a spell on a card, Armand waved his hand again and the map glowed and showed Great Britain with a small green light tracing on its face. After a minute the light stopped on another place on the map. 

“That’s where they are now,” Hermione said. “The camera allows us to see everything happening like we are in the same place and to record. It is also equipped with listening, tracking, and pinpoint charms.”

“The tracking and pinpoint charms have unlimited range while the listening charm only spans half of the area of Europe after Ruri and Uncle Tweed modified it. Any map would do, but a map attuned to magic like what we Grangers have in our homes would give a better result for locations especially for magical dwellings.” Malcolm explained further. 

“We also found a text for modifying the charms from the library, I think we could use it to further our information about everyone and for those who we’re looking for,” Blaise said while looking at the map. “We used some of the modifications to show us a place’s history as well.”

“So that’s why it shows Fleamont and Euphemia Potter’s home.” Amara Potter said, her jaw clenched tightly. “That fleabag is using my family’s home as his Order’s headquarters for eleven years. And my grandson and his family was stuck in a cursed house.”

“Remy has completed the duplication of the wards at the Dursley home. Tweed will also be visiting to determine the extent of the compulsions the family was under for fifteen years,” Armand said. “We could use your hand in dispelling his slimy hold on your grandson.”

“No need to ask me, Armand. I already made plans to go myself,” Amara said chocolate brown eyes turning to blue, her eyes scanning the faces of the Order of the Phoenix, looking for cracks they could use for their advantage. 

“Besides the wheels are already turning, we’re just waiting for the engine to run.” Amara said before turning her full attention to the Order’s faces. 


	16. Happy Birthday Hermione!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione’s birthday in Hogwarts.

On September 1st, Richard and Helen accompanied Hermione to King’s Cross Station and went with her through the barrier. They as expected were dressed sensibly and muggle.

Every pureblood who saw them either looked at them with disdain or sneered. Even the halfblood families looked at them as if they are dirt on their shoes.

 _If they only know they’re not of pure blood anymore_ , Hermione thought while she and her parents walked past them. 

Because of the limited options for furthering magical blood, the pureblood families inside the statute wards could now be counted through one’s fingers. Unlike their sibling families in the muggle world who were biologically drawn to marry a magical blood far from their own magic, and has options throughout the world. 

Dilution through intermarriage, widely practiced blood prejudice, ‘muggleborns’ being ostracized, non-celebration of magical holidays and traditions, limiting and strictly regulating the use of dark magic, and limiting access to one’s full magical potential has resulted to a wide chasm in magic in the United Kingdom.

The Grangers and similar families outside of the statute wards has worked for a whole century to close the gap while keeping everyone inside safe from suspicion and harm from muggles. 

_But to keep Magic alive in the country, we need the full might of the magical world. Soon_ , Hermione thought, _we have began and Albus Dumbledore won’t know what hit him._

XXXXX

It was September 12th and Hermione woke up much earlier than normal. She completed her morning calisthenics and meditation before going through her mind to check her shields and magical index. Satisfied that her mind was in order, she reached into her magic to check the protective warding from Healer Vasta and was glad for its strong presence. 

She pulled her curtains open and saw that Lavender and Parvati are still fast asleep. It’s just six in the morning but Hermione stood up and started to ready herself for breakfast then her classes. 

She went to their floor’s common bathroom and took a quick shower and dried her hair with a special towel spelled to make it seem bushy and full of frizz. 

_Lavender was right this hair takes a lot of work,_ Hermione thought chuckling to herself. 

She brushed her teeth before checking her buckteeth dentures hold. Going back to the second year girls’ room, Hermione made her bed and things neatly and methodically before grabbing her book bag and headed to the Great Hall. 

Arriving just in time for its opening, Hermione went to her usual seat at the Gryffindor table, her back to the window. She opened her Defense book to re-read on today’s lesson while caressing her necklace. It is now one of her habits after she received it from Blaise. 

Her birthday was today, but the Granger family celebrated it on August 31st, the day before she and Blaise left for Hogwarts, like the year before. The family thought it wise for Hermione to not gather attention to herself, and getting more than three hundred gifts on her birthday would surely garner attention, envy and curiosity from anyone painting a target on her back. 

But being the top of her year and Harry Potter’s friend still puts her in everyone’s radar that made Armand Granger shook his head and laugh.

“Danger and limelight… you could never take a Granger away from it, it’s our nature,” was what he only said when the family found out about it, their well-thought plan failing epically. 

She received quite a haul of gifts this year especially from the young members of their family – dresses, robes, clothes, shoes and accessories from magical and muggle fashion and couture houses around the globe, books from both muggle and magical authors, potions and their recipes, and a broom only made for her.

She cherishes every gift given to her, but some through the years like the clothes and shoes were outgrown by Hermione and are given to people who most needs it or are sold to fund charities, orphanages and poor villages that their family supports. 

But there were those which she never parts like her Mama Elisa’s potion books, her mother’s black pearl earrings, her father’s miniature magical village, and her Nana Shen’s copy of Dante’s comedy. The necklace from Malcolm and its pendant from Blaise were the new addition to that list.

The necklace was designed and crafted by Malcolm, the first jewelry he created all by himself when he was thirteen. It was the base for the jewelry he gifted Anabella, his debut piece in the jewelry business. Its pendant was an octagonal shaped box made from carbon and is not, in fact, a pendant.

It was a musical box that plays Vivaldi’s Spring with a portrait of Draco and Hermione dancing the waltz inside. The dance never happened, of course, but Blaise’s ability to render his imagination into canvas made it seem so. And she was really glad that her cousin believes that her farthest dream would come true.

She has asked her Papa Armand to transfigure it into a pendant while retaining its features and has worn it on her neck since she received it. She has also taken to playing the musical box and humming with it while studying which is how Harry found her when he arrived at their table.

He sat next to her and greeted her good morning before making a plate of food for himself. He was starting on his tea when the owls arrived and three owls swooped down to where Hermione sat.

One was her Daily Prophet delivery, the next one is Hedwig who dropped a parcel wrapped in blue luminous paper and the last one was an eagle owl who dropped a parcel wrapped in brown paper and twine.

Harry pushed the parcel from Hedwig towards Hermione before whispering, “Happy birthday, Hermione! I wish you more happy returns!” he said before Hermione enveloped him in a bear hug.

After she received a squeeze from Harry, Hermione opened her gift which was a new set of quills and a beautiful black leather journal, her name lettered in gold.

“Thank you, Harry it’s beautiful,” she said before hugging him again. She then opened the other parcel which she knows where from her parents and got a surprise. Inside it where five things instead of the three she expected.

There was her favorite brand of Italian chocolate from her father, a newly knitted grey scarf from her mother, and the twins’ new puzzle to solve. The other two was a book and a postcard.

The postcard has the picture of the Sea Organ from Zadar, Croatia, a site listed on Hermione’s bucket list. She flipped the postcard and saw her mother’s signature.

 _So they’re in Croatia, must be the oil feud then_ , Hermione thought knowing her parents usually travel around the world, a dental mission as their front, to subdue the threats to their magical siblings.

She then opened the book which was Arthur Conan Doyle’s Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, her grandfather’s favorite. She run her hand on the first page which was signed by Doyle himself before it shimmered and Hermione felt the Patriarch’s magic before the signed page change into a quote written by a feminine hand.

She raised the book and showed it to Harry. “Harry, are you interested in this genre? Would you like to read it?”

Harry who has been looking interestedly at the book since Hermione opened her gift, nodded his head enthusiastically.

“I would love to, Hermione. I was only able to read the first page of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes when I was in muggle school but was never able to find a copy of it and blimey, you’re holding a signed one.”

“Then I would gladly lend this to you, Harry. This was my grandfather’s copy, Mom found it on the house’s attic while cleaning.” Hermione replied before looking at the book’s cover again. It now read ‘Hogwarts, A History 82nd Edition’ by Samantha Lestrange.

Inside Hermione read the quote again she first saw.

_One is enough,_   
_Two is too much,_   
_Three is not a mistake,_   
_Four is a poison that can kill,_   
_Five is death no one wishes for._

The quote was a usual caution to children in the Granger family when they make mistakes expressing that a mistake repeatedly done was not a mistake anymore but intentional. And below it was a pentagram, the points joined by a five-pointed star, the Council of Five’s symbol. On the bottom part of the page was one of her ancestors name written in the same neat script.

_Antoinette Granger_   
_Hogwarts 1811_

Then she remembered she left her copy of Hogwarts, A History at home and silently thanked her grandfather’s thoughtfulness before continuing her breakfast. 


	17. Mudblood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened after the 'mudblood incident?'

It was just past seven in the morning when Oliver Wood dragged Harry to quidditch practice.

Hermione was sure that it would surely last for half the day but she did not complain and just accompanied Ronald to watch in the stands. She hated being idle though, so she brought a book with her to read while the Gryffindor team practices.

She loves Quidditch, don’t get her wrong, but the sport was brutal and has caused a lot of injury with its players. And the set of skills it needs is really not her cup of tea, so there’s that. And it’s not her fault that her housemates thought she hates it because she puts her classwork first.

Like everyone else, she enjoys watching Quidditch and plays from time to time (Malcolm and Blaise talked her ears off when she first refused). She’s a fair flyer, if she will assess herself, as long as she is prepared and her fear of heights does not kick in. But she also firmly believes that she needs to keep both her feet on the ground to be safe.

They have been watching Harry’s practice for an hour now and Hermione could see the team getting the hang of Oliver Wood’s training and are improving fast. She also saw a few students who came to watch the practice, some she is sure are from the other houses teams. But what made her curious was seeing the team stopped in mid-air looking down to the field while Wood was diving down to meet the Slytherin team entering the field.

It was then that she decided to go down to the field and see clearly what happened while the remainder of the Gryffindor team flew down to back their captain who is in a staring contest against Marcus Flint, Slytherin’s team captain.

When she got near to the two teams who are staring each other down, she heard Wood asked, “New seeker? Who?”

And the Slytherin team parted to reveal a very proud Draco Malfoy, the new Slytherin seeker. This made Hermione proud of him and she took note to give him a congratulatory gift through Blaise.

“And Lord Malfoy, proud of his son making into the team, gifted us this new top of the line brooms,” Flint said while he and his team showed off their new Nimbus 2001 brooms, “that would surely put your Cleansweeps to tears.”

That made the Gryffindor team drop their mouths in shock, not only because the broom was so expensive but it is currently the best broom in Britain. And Hermione understands that shock and why the other team was preening, it is truly a game changer. It is even better than Harry’s Nimbus 2000, if the Quidditch brochures are to be believed. 

“You only made him seeker because his father bribed you,” Ronald said, full of vitriol and envy.

His comment made the other team mad that started the insults and posturing which Hermione tuned out because she was used to it. The insults and taunts are normal especially with boys who wants to dominate the field and make themselves known, which is why Hermione started to turn away from the two teams until she heard Ginevra Weasley mutter.

“And I could easily ask my dad to put me in the team and take you out. He only needs to give Professor Dumbledore his word and I am already in,” Ginny said smugly. 

The girl’s smug grin and words made Hermione furious but it was not noticed by the students now gathered around them who are more interested in the two teams heated exchange. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, it won’t do for the school or Dumbledore to know the extent of her magic. 

Eyes closed and pinching her nose, Hermione quietly said, “At least he got into the team with his talent, unlike you who bought your way in,” very much annoyed at the Weasley girl.

In control of her temper and magic, she opened her eyes to see the quidditch field quiet. She first saw Ronald’s triumphant look, then Harry’s shocked face and then the look of awe in Wood’s face.

She was confused of their reactions and started to turn away from the fighting teams and Ginevra when she saw the look of hurt on Draco’s eyes before it turned to anger.

She took a step back in shock before she saw him move towards her and looked at her scornfully. “Keep your mouth shut, you don’t know anything, mudblood.” Draco said to her, eyes like molten mercury in his anger and hate.

“Take that back, Malfoy!” George shouted while an angry Fred was being pulled back by his teammates. Harry was also confused of the situation, not knowing why everyone became agitated because of what Malfoy said. Then Ronald waved his wand, clearly jinxing Malfoy, and it backfired making the redhead throw up slugs.

But amidst the Slytherins covering their new seeker, the Gryffindors pulling Fred back and Ronald throwing up slugs, Hermione has not moved. Her mind was blank, still in shock that the boy who looked kindly at her years ago, has talked to her with so much hate. She was unmoving until Harry pulled her to help bring Ronald to Hagrid’s hut.

It was later that night, when Hermione revisited her memories of the day, that she came from her shock and cried herself to sleep. Her occlusion has helped immensely in keeping her abilities secret and from breaking apart.

XXXXX

It was three weeks since the incident in the quidditch pitch, yet Hermione Granger still receives scorn not only from Slytherins but the whole school itself.

Blaise pities his cousin who has received more insults and jinxes than Potter (when he became Gryffindor’s seeker in first year) in those three weeks. But he still didn’t talk to her.

The morning after the incident, she tried to ask Blaise what happened that made Draco angry at her but he didn’t want to talk to her as he has spent the night comforting his best mate. And he has avoided her since, angry at her for agreeing with Weasley’s words and not supporting Draco instead. 

When she realized that he was avoiding her, she sent him a long note at breakfast on Wednesday, five days after the incident, that probably explained her versions of things to him.

But instead of opening it, he promptly crumbled the note before burning it and continuing with his breakfast. He has received four more notes that day – two on their meals at the Great Hall, one on their shared Potions class and one before he went to sleep. 

She continued to send notes during meals until Friday evening but he ignored all of it. When Saturday and Sunday came and he did not receive even one note, Blaise thought that she now probably got the message that she was wrong for hurting his best mate’s feelings.

He was in a good mood when he went to breakfast on Monday morning until he bit into his pumpkin bread.

There inside his newly-bitten bread was a yellow note, the note his cousin has been sending him for a whole week and he almost ate it!

He glared at her back at the Gryffindor table while stirring his soup before spooning some to his mouth then stopping his hand in mid-air because his soup was gone and in its place was another note!

He put his spoon down and looked into his cup of tea and there was another bloody note!

All throughout the day, Blaise kept receiving notes from his cousin in the most outrageous and annoying way possible. Wherever he is, whatever he is doing – reaching for a plate of food, putting his hand in his pocket, even in the loo – a note would turn up in his face and it drives him crazy (even his toothpaste turned into a note after he squeezed it on his toothbrush!).

It continued for three days and even his mates feel frustrated because even Professor Snape casting a _finite_ did not make it stop. 

It wasn’t until Draco burned the note on his hand on Friday at breakfast that he finally stopped receiving notes. But now, five days since he received his last note Blaise clearly realized that he should not have avoided his cousin in the first place.

 _She looks dull and clearly in pain, not participating much in classes, she doesn’t even laugh or smile even when Potter and Weasley are with her or Longbottom_ , Blaise thought while looking at Hermione’s back in their shared Potions class.

He could see her methodical brewing of the fever reducing potion they’re making and he is sure she will complete it outstandingly, but her movements were nearly robotic. 

_And her shields were impenetrable!_ Blaise realized when he tried to enter Hermione’s mind. And then he saw her face, his cousin slightly turned to her right when she couldn’t reach her stirring rod, and the slight shimmer of a glamour on her eyes. 

_She never wore a glamour, oh what did I do!?_ Blaise said in his mind, wanting to whack himself in the head. And then he felt Theo shove Draco beside him making his friend look up from his potion.

They both looked to where Theo was pointing and his eyes widened when he saw Lavender Brown sent a stinging jinx to his cousin’s hand making her hand falter while stirring her potion. 

_Bloody hell, I would shave that witch’s head if Maia’s potion exploded!_ Blaise said on his mind, thanking all the gods for his cousin’s steady hands and Nikolai Romanov for her brewing that could rival Professor Snape.

When she finished stirring and checking that her potion will not explode or cause a side-effect, she turned her eyes towards the back to find the culprit for the jinx.

Blaise knows that Draco and Theo has their attentions back to their potions, slightly disappointed that her potion did not explode. So he looked at her before pointedly looking at Brown who was frowning. He shoved Draco beside him and pointed at the witch’s table.

And his friend guffawed which made Theo looked up as well and then laugh too. Because Brown’s potion is now boiling out of her cauldron and she was clearly in panic and just putting anything she could reach into it.

Then Professor Snape, _whose always on alert for potions gone wrong_ , has now come to her table to berate her for being a dunderhead before her potion exploded showering her and the professor in a black, pungent and gooey substance.

Professor Snape, very much angry at the mess, snarled. “Thirty points from Gryffindor, Miss Brown and detention for one week.”

He then vanished the mess on his robes before turning back to his table.

“Submit your potions in a vial with your name and vanish from my sight, you dunderheads!”

Everyone scampered to finish their potions while Hermione Granger quietly bottled hers and submitted it to the potions master. Professor Snape looked at it before nodding his head and his cousin cleared her space on the table and took her bag to walk out of the classroom.

When she reached the table he shares with Draco and Theo, she winked at him before walking with a smile out of class, the first in three weeks.

He chuckled to himself before taking an empty vial to bottle his now finished potion. He uncorked it and has started to ladle his potion when he heard a pop near his hand.

When he looked at his hand to see if the vial broke, he saw that it was still intact but with a yellow note inside instead.

 _Bloody persistent evil cousin!_ Blaise thought fondly before taking the note out of the vial and bottling his potion to get out of class twenty-five minutes early.

XXXXX

Before dinner, Hermione and Blaise met on the shores of the Great Lake near the edge of the Forbidden Forest and away from the listening enchantments in the castle (and the questioning look from Draco and Theo, in Blaise’s case).

When Blaise apologized for ignoring his cousin, Hermione broke out from her occlusion and hugged her cousin crying. She continuously apologized to him while crying until Blaise also cried as well on their embrace.

When they finished crying, Hermione showed Blaise her memories of that day to make him understand that the words she spoke was not meant to hurt Draco but Ginevra Weasley.

Blaise in turn showed his memory of the same day and Hermione was clearly devastated after that and he realized why she has upped her occlusion – to keep herself from breaking down which clearly happens before she sleeps. 

Blaise now knows that what she said was meant to defend Draco but because of its ill-timing it has looked as if she was agreeing with what Weasley said not only hurting his best mate but making her lose face amongst the Slytherins.

They after all believed that beyond her Gryffindor qualities, Hermione would be a fair judge as she is rational and would always think before hexing unlike most of her house. The incident made her seem pickle and only fair if it suits her advantage. To which she again cried.

Blaise knows for a fact that she has no friends in her house except Potter and Longbottom, and the Weasleys by association as no one likes her constant nagging about school work but in his house it was begrudgingly respected by his housemates and a constant reminder to at least pass their classes.

Her hunger to learn and constantly topping their classes became the ‘but’ in every pureblood conversation in their house commons.

 _If they only know_ , Blaise thought before his mind came up of an idea. He told his cousin about it and she immediately stopped crying.

While Blaise kept on talking, her face slowly lights up liking Blaise’s idea better and better.

XXXXX

It’s a Friday evening and Draco was sitting on his bed, reading the new issue of Potions Monthly. He dreamt of being a potions master someday just like his godfather.

He is currently enjoying his night after he saw Weasley trip while walking out from their Herbology class this afternoon. He really enjoyed seeing the redhead’s furious face when he face planted on the dragon dung fertilizer.

He even saw Potter snort behind the Weasel before he helped his friend to stand up. But what he really liked was seeing Granger biting her lips while trying to keep herself from laughing. 

He cackled again when he remembered that. Which made Theo raise his head from playing wizard’s chess with Bastien. He raised his brow to him asking what he did find funny. 

“I remember Weasley’s face full of dragon dung,” before laughing again gleefully which made Theo and Bastien laugh as well. 

Which is what Blaise walked into a few minutes before curfew. 

“Hey, Blaise where have you been?” Theo asked concern in his voice. “We haven’t seen you since dinner.”

“I went to find a book in the library and sent an owl to Santino,” Blaise replied offhandedly before going to his bed and taking his robes, vest and tie off. 

Then he took something from his book bag and gave it to Draco. He then went to his trunk to rummage for clothes. When he looked at Draco, he could see his friend’s brow was furrowed. 

“What’s this mate? And why are you giving this to me?” Draco said before adding. “And here I was, so sure that you don’t bend that way.”

Shocked it took Blaise a moment before he understood what Draco meant and he threw his shirt at him while he avoided it still laughing. 

“Bugger off, you git,” Blaise replied, now laughing, “Granger told me to give that to you, says she’s sorry.” He then rummaged back on his trunk for a change of clothes.

When he heard nothing from Draco, he looked to see his friend’s eyes bulging in shock and his cheeks blushing furiously. While Theo and Bastien looked like statues, their hands stopped in motion.

When Bastien’s knight squirm out of his hand and fell in the board with a clutter, it was then that Draco came to his senses.

“Why did you accept it? You know I’m mad at her, ” Draco asked, his grip tightening on the package and still blushing. “And what’s this anyway?”

“And refuse it while she has her wand on my neck?” Blaise asked incredulously, changing his shirt. “I would never risk that, mate. Nu-uh, nope, never.”

“That’s chocolate, muggle chocolate.” Blaise said while pointing at the package. “It’s an Italian brand and very popular. My cousin loves it, you would probably, too.”

Draco eyed the package in his hand again before glaring at Blaise. He then carefully unwrapped the package before opening the plastic case. There were eight pieces of it wrapped in a thin gold foil and there are two layers of it. 

He pulled the wrapper off and saw a chocolate ball inside. He sniffed it and slowly rotated the confection in his hand to inspect it before taking a small bite and his eyes grew. 

At first he really thought that it was just an ordinary chocolate ball, but there was something crispy inside before he tasted another chocolate center.

It was heavenly! Draco thought before he popped the whole chocolate inside his mouth and pulled another one from the case.

“So, is Granger forgiven then?” Theo asked, he, Bastien and Blaise eyeing Draco interestedly who was now opening his fourth piece of chocolate.

“No girl has given me chocolates before I’ll give her an exception for now,” Draco said after he popped his fourth chocolate and swallowing it in two chews. “And this is incredible, do you think she’ll give me another if I say she’s not forgiven yet?”

“I think you’ll receive another if you say you forgive her,” Bastien said, his eyes shining with laughter. “And I would surely commend her when I see her, she really knows her audience.”

Before laughing at Draco who just shrugged his shoulders before eating another chocolate that made the other boys laugh. 


	18. Chamber of Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gryffindor Trio found the Chamber of Secrets.

Before Hermione left Hogwarts at the end of her first year, she has envisioned that the magical world would be much prepared and wary because Voldemort was not destroyed at the night of the Potter’s murder. But the next morning, she did not see any article on the Daily Prophet talking about Voldemort’s return. She has kept on looking out for news declaring he was back but to no avail.

Even Blaise and Chiara did not see a change in the magical world even the pureblood society grapevine did not receive any news or notion about Voldemort returning and has kept on leaving their lives in lies and prejudice.

It seems that Dumbledore made sure that the news won’t even get out and has kept Hermione thinking why. And then The Fates’ gave their bargain at the Soiree of the Heirs and she figured out the why.

 _The maligned soul raised to be slaughtered_ , Hermione thought while waiting for Harry and Ronald to arrive at the Great Hall. _Only Harry knows that Voldemort was alive and he has told the headmaster about it after he recovered from the hospital wing. But he just kept it within himself and did not made it known, he’s making Harry think that he is the only one who can vanquish Voldemort._

“When in fact he’s just a young wizard, so far from his potential,” Hermione said to herself while absently stirring her tea. “He keeps him in the dark, then kill him when he has no use anymore. But why didn’t he kill him that night? Or now? What’s stopping him?”

“What’s stopping who, Hermione?” Harry asked, sitting beside Hermione.

She turned her head to see Harry and Ronald sitting next to each other while Ginny Weasley was glaring at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled to Harry.

“Nothing, Harry. It was a TV series that I have been watching this summer, and I am trying to figure out what was the villain thinking when he did not attack the hero.” Hermione said, deflecting Harry smoothly her innate deviousness coming out. “They are living near each other all this time, but the hero didn’t know that he was the villain.”

“Oh, I know that series, Hermione. I also watched it this summer and I felt down that I won’t be able to watch it when we returned to Hogwarts.” Dean said who was sitting in front of Hermione. “I asked my mom to record it for me so I could watch on break. I could lend you the tape, if you want.”

 _'Ah, thank you Dean!'_ Hermione projected to Dean before thanking him and accepting his offer.

“It’s no big deal, Hermione.” Dean replied.

 _'_ _Anything for the heir'_ he projected to Hermione before giving her a wink and returning to his breakfast.

His wink and Hermione’s returning smile did not escape Ronald’s notice as well as Harry.

Ron poked Harry’s side before asking, “What were Dean and Mione talking about?” envy evident on his tone.

“Mione?” Harry asked confusedly, looking at Ron. When Ron nodded, Harry scrunched up his nose before answering. “Ron, you do know that she doesn’t like that nickname, right?”

When Ron didn’t even react, only his face turning more red, Harry rolling his eyes answered. “It was a series on TV that was shown this summer, I think. I don’t really watch from the telly that much, so I’m not really familiar with it.”

“What’s a teevee, Harry?” Ginny leaned over in front of him, batting her lashes. 

_Again? Seriously? Why does she always do that?_ Harry thinking to himself before looking at Ron for help but his best mate is still glaring at Dean who is now talking to Seamus.

“Ahm, a TV or television is… um a device that shows… um," Harry said before scolding himself in his mind. _Harry stop stuttering and answer the damn question!_

“It shows sports events like Quidditch matches and news in real-time to people from far places,” Dean piped up, rescuing Harry. “People doesn’t need to visit the place anymore like the quidditch pitch to see a game, the telly would show it to you like you were there.”

Harry blew the breath he was holding before nodding to Dean, thanking him for his great save. Dean just smiled at him before returning his attention to Seamus and eating his breakfast.

XXXXX

On the evening of the Halloween Feast, Hermione, Harry and Ron came into another troubling situation. After returning from Headless Nick’s deathday party, Harry said that he heard someone saying he wants blood and to kill but she and Ronald did not.

While following Harry who was walking besides the wall, they rounded the corner to the girl’s bathroom and stepped into a puddle. Looking ahead, Hermione saw that the whole length of the floor was flooded before looking at the door where she knows the girls’ bathroom was located and she almost stopped breathing.

There hanging from one of the sconces was Mrs. Norris, the caretaker’s cat unmoving. Ron actually threw up while Harry stood frozen.

When the caretaker rounded the corner, he saw the three students stopped and the hallway was flooded. He came near the students to know why they stopped and saw his beloved cat hanging from one of the sconces.

He has started wailing and has accused Harry of killing the cat. The caretaker’s cries were heard by the students coming from the Great Hall and called for the teachers. Professors Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore went to investigate the situation.

Professor Snape looked at them accusingly before he started to question Harry who still looks ashen. And the headmaster hummed while inspecting Mrs. Norris which did not escape Hermione. 

“Mrs. Norris is not dead, Argus only petrified,” Professor Dumbledore his eyes twinkling said while Professor McGonagall was trying to comfort the caretaker. “I’ll ask Pomona when her mandrakes will be ready to unpetrify your cat.”

“There, there Argus, Mrs. Norris will be back,” Professor McGonagall said before looking sternly at her three students. “Where have you been, Mr. Potter? The three of you did not attend the feast.”

Harry, recovering from his shock, explained that the three of them just came back from Headless Nick’s deathday party to which they were invited.

“We’re on our way back when we… we,” Harry said, clearing his throat. “we heard… we”

“We heard Mytle crying and there was a splash of water,” Hermione said covering for Harry, seeing him panic trying to decide if he should tell the professors what he heard. “We headed this way as it is a faster shortcut to reach Gryffindor Tower.”

While covering for Harry, Hermione avoided looking to the headmaster’s direction and just looked to Professor McGonagall’s eyes. While Harry was explaining, she felt the compulsion her friend was receiving from Dumbledore and his subtle guidance in how Harry answers the question.

It was only when Harry hesitated about hearing a disembodied voice that the compulsion lost its subtlety and became a pressure which her friend was clearly fighting off. 

But seeing her head of house’s eyes, Hermione also discovered another truth about Hogwarts but she needs to check that further. When the Transfiguration professor dismissed them and sent them back to their dormitory, she saw the writing left on the wall and understood that it was not a warning but the start of a scare tactic. 

_Time to visit the Chamber of Secrets then_ , Hermione said to herself well aware of the headmaster’s eyes which has lost its twinkle when Harry fought for control. 

XXXXX 

After the Chamber of Secrets has been ‘opened’ the students at Hogwarts was on high alert and are now going everywhere in groups especially the girls as Mrs. Norris was petrified near the girl’s bathroom.

And because everyone wants to know about the Chamber, all the library’s copies of Hogwarts, A History has been unavailable for weeks and there is a long line of students waiting to borrow it. 

Hermione and Blaise, of course knows the location and purpose of the Chamber but they still want to know what is the current perception about it by the magical community. There were also no news about it on the papers and the students it seems did not even sent their parents word about it. 

_And the key to the Chamber must be with a student_ , Hermione thinks while walking to their Charms class. _Or a student was compelled to open it… but how?_

It was a puzzle Hermione kept thinking over for the past weeks. She has already found the entrance used, it was in the second floor girl’s bathroom and she was just looking for a way to get in there without being noticed by the headmaster or disturbed at least. 

There is also the three presences that Hermione felt in the castle and one she was sure was in Gryffindor Tower. And Blaise said that the other one was near the seventh floor and he felt the last one with the headmaster during the feast.

The presences was actually conflicting – it sends off a mixture of kindness and hatred rolled in one and are constantly fighting for dominance – but the magic emanating from them are familiar. 

“Harry don’t you think Malfoy was too proud while walking earlier?” Ron asked while they are taking notes in Charms taking Hermione out of her thoughts.

“I mean he has been like that the past few days, like he knows something about the Chamber of Secrets. He has come from a bigoted and dark family after all.”

“I actually overheard him saying in History of Magic that his grandfather was here when the Chamber was last opened,” Neville said beside Ron. “He said that it was fifty years ago since it was opened.”

“I don’t know, Ron I am not sure about that.” Harry said shaking his head. “We can’t just follow him inside their common room. We don’t even know where it is.”

“I think I can find a way for us to know if Malfoy is really the Heir of Slytherin,” Hermione said without taking her eyes from Professor Flitwick. “Let me just read on that and I’ll let you know.”

“You really are the best, Mione,” Ron said before patting Hermione’s hand.

 _And now I have my way to be in the bathroom and a great alibi_ , Hermione said in her mind ignoring Ronald’s adoring look while listing the ingredients she would need for polyjuice potion. 


	19. Mishaps and Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione’s polyjuice accident

Two days later, Hermione went to the library after Professor Lockhart signed her request slip to borrow _Most Potente Potions_ , the only book that details how to brew polyjuice potion in the entire Hogwarts Library. But Hermione doesn’t need the book to correctly brew it, in fact she has mastered the potion this summer and has already created variations on its potency and duration under the tutelage of Nikolai Romanov. 

Borrowing the book is actually an alibi to confirm her theory about the Hogwarts staff. She needs cause to look at Madame Pince’s eyes for a bit longer and borrowing a restricted section book would surely ensure it. 

Also, possessing Most Potente Potions plus pilfering potion supplies from Professor Snape’s stores and the consequent brewing of polyjuice in the girl’s bathroom would remove her from the radar of the headmaster. The potion’s brewing as well would allow her to access the Chamber without the headmaster’s knowing.

 _He will think that his illegal potions and compulsions has now a hold on me and my cleverness are from books_ , Hermione said to herself after she left her signed slip with the librarian. Her theory being correct and has already sent word to her grandfather through communicare. 

When she reached the restricted section, she went directly to the shelf where the book is located. She has already taken the book from the shelf when she saw another book behind it. It was Magics Most Evil and it is calling her magic. She pulled it from the shelf and started perusing its contents.

Her magic made her stop on a redacted section about a horcrux. From what she could read, a horcrux is created to achieve immortality – splitting one’s soul and hiding it in an object, the soul is split by doing the foulest form of magic. 

_The foulest form of magic_ , Hermione thought before remembering her family’s meeting. And she smiled to herself before returning the book back to its shelf, it shimmered before turning into an empty space, its disillusionment spell in place.

XXXXX

A week after she began brewing polyjuice in Myrtle’s bathroom, she has determined that Slytherin’s monster was a basilisk. A basilisk only eats small animals like rats, ferrets and weasels and occasionally acromantulas. Living in the castle for nine centuries, its length has now reached sixty feet and its body was the size of a column.

It has lived peacefully in the castle’s old hall as a pest controller and usually travels through the pipes to hunt outside in the Forbidden Forest with its eyes closed. It is afraid of a cock’s crow which is why the gamekeeper’s hut is on the other side of the grounds, far from the dungeons. And while it is the natural enemy of acromantulas and spiders, it was trained not to hunt unless provoked.

But fifty-four years ago, when the Snake Prince’s soul was sealed, the basilisk lost its peaceful soul and is now under the control of the meddlesome king. It has also killed a student, a Ravenclaw named Myrtle Warren, who was the only witness to the sealing of its master’s soul.

Fifty-four years after, the basilisk was again woken from its slumber to cause panic and to kill the new Prince of the Slytherin line making Hermione plan for Harry’s another year-end showdown with Voldemort.

XXXXX

To finish the polyjuice potion and to not give out any suspicion on their family’s plans, Hermione stayed at Hogwarts for winter break. She has finished brewing it on one of the stalls in the second floor girls’ bathroom under the knowing nose of the headmaster and with the help of Harry, Ronald and Blaise. 

Her cousin was the one tasked to ‘steal’ the potion’s supply after losing on their Draco bet. The cousins betted on Draco’s reaction to Hermione after he received the chocolates, Hermione saying the boy would still pull her hair while Blaise said that he will be indifferent. 

After Draco told her she will be the next petrified victim, on the hallway nonetheless, after Justin Finch-Fletchley was found near Nearly Headless Nick’s petrified ghost, her cousin nodded reluctantly behind Draco.

The potion supplies were actually not stolen – it was just hidden behind a cleverly rendered painting by Blaise and a strong notice-me charm that the cousins hanged in front of the original shelf. From their observation, they know that the potions master only take stock of his supplies through the number of ingredients he has used in his potions and only checks his physical stock every two weeks. 

When Professor Snape notice the painting and the shortage of his ingredients for polyjuice, the painting would then roll up and shrunk to the size of a parchment strip before returning to Blaise’s trunk stopping the ruse. 

And the professor indeed noticed it three days ago while preparing his monthly inventory and was in a rage in finding someone stole from his supply cupboard. It took a lot of the cousins’ concentration to not break in laughter, their prank very much successful.

After Hermione has ladled the right portions in each cup, she collected the remaining polyjuice potion into a large jar before vanishing it unto a secured potions kit she always carry just in time for Harry and Ronald to arrive. They went out to find Crabbe and Goyle carrying two cupcakes laced with a sleeping potion that would wake them up after one hour and a half.

Putting their pieces of hair into the cup, the potion sizzled before turning into different colors signifying the owner’s essence. The trio took a look at their cups before scrunching their noses and heading to the bathroom stalls and transformed into other students.

After their transformation, Hermione told Harry and Ronald to go ahead as Crabbe and Goyle refusing Harry’s persuasion. When she heard the bathroom door close, Hermione went out of her stall and looked herself in the mirror. She’s a half-cat!

XXXXX

After thinking of ways to reverse her potion’s mishap, Hermione decided to come to the hospital wing to be healed by Madam Pomfrey. When the kindly matron saw her, she just led the young witch to a bed near her potions store and closed the curtains for her privacy. 

She has given Hermione a calming draught to help calm her and has sent word to Professor Snape for a reversal potion for polyjuice.

“It would take Professor Snape three days to complete the potion, dear,” Madam Pomfrey said to Hermione. “I already informed him and Minerva of what has happened to you and I will also give word to your friends when they look for you. For now, take your rest and take this fur-shedding potion and pain potion. You would be in for a long week, dear.”

“Thank you, Madam Pomfrey,” Hermione replied accepting her potions, “I’m sorry for bothering you on this holiday.”

“Oh, it was no bother, Miss Granger, it’s my job,” the matron replied before pushing Hermione to her bed. “Now, off to bed you go.”

Hermione changed to her nightclothes before drinking her potions. Making herself comfortable on her infirmary bed, she reached for her bag for a book to read. She looked at the book on her hand and found that it was the book her grandfather sent her on her birthday, Hogwarts, A History which was cloaked under Arthur Conan Doyle’s Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

She lent the book to Harry and the wizard returned it to her just this evening before dinner. Deciding to read the muggle detective story, Hermione tapped the book to keep its cloaking spell before she started to read. Her mind full of Sherlock’s adventures and deductive prowess, Hermione fell in a deep sleep.

XXXXX

In the middle of the night, Professor Dumbledore visited the school’s infirmary wanting to check on someone. Minerva McGonagall earlier received a patronus from Poppy Pomfrey saying that one of her cubs was in the hospital wing and won’t be able to return to Gryffindor Tower for at least a week because of a polyjuice accident.

There are three occupied beds when he arrived but one was curtained for privacy. He slowly made his way to the curtained bed and entered it and found Miss Granger lying there, an opened book on her chest. He looked to the girl’s side table and he saw two empty vials of potions and the girl’s bag.

He first opened the satchel and found it neatly ordered, reflecting the owner’s personality. He found two books in it, black and purple journals, rolls of parchment, a bottle of ink and spare quills, a handkerchief, a case full of muggle pens, markers and pencils, and a pack of muggle mint candy. He opened the case containing the candy and took one to taste.

The headmaster truly enjoyed the minty taste which was different from his lemon drops and took another one before returning the candy case inside the bag and closing it. Satisfied that everything was in order, the headmaster took a seat next to Hermione’s bed and entered the witch’s mind in her sleep, fully knowing how weak the mind’s defenses during sleep.

He has visited the witch’s mind since she and Harry Potter was sorted to Gryffindor. The girl was odd for him for many reasons notwithstanding her being friends with his new nemesis who he has no way to kill just yet. 

First, the girl was sorted into Gryffindor, the first in the family as the Grangers are usually sorted into Slytherin. The second reason was the girl being the top of her year despite her upbringing far from the magical world. The girl’s hunger for magical knowledge and the ability to absorb information like a sponge is a conflict Albus wants to turn to his advantage. 

To have the girl work for him and believe in him would make her an invaluable addition to his Order, he just needs to take the girl’s allegiance away from Harry. And lastly because he could see himself in the girl and wants himself ready if she turns into a threat to his plans. And if that happens, Hermione Granger with her family must be eliminated at all cost even if she will be valuable to his cause. 

This and many things runs in his mind while plowing through the witch’s memories, looking for a conflicting habit, a difference, anything that Albus could call a threat but as usual the girl’s memories as its owner is very orderly and arranged neatly and has no signs of treachery.

The headmaster has reached the memory where the girl sat beside a tree looking at the night sky filled with stars and ended his perusal of the witch’s memories. He stood up and quietly went to the infirmary’s door. 

He pulled the door open and stopped to look back at the curtained bed before raising his wand and cancelling the charms and wards he had put up when he entered. Albus Dumbledore nodded and exited the hospital wing to get a few hours of sleep.

If only the headmaster has looked beyond the field of Hermione’s memory, he may have found his cause and seen the dementor guarding the gates of the witch’s mind.


	20. That Bloody Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaise again received another note from Hermione.

Two weeks after her polyjuice accident, Hermione was released from the infirmary. She has missed her first week of lessons but she’s not really worried. With Harry bringing her their classwork, Dean giving her a copy of his notes and Blaise’s remedial lessons, she was able to catch up.

Taking a walk at the edge of the Great Lake, Hermione was thinking of how had people reacted to her being in the infirmary. Harry and Neville are, of course, worried and visits everyday although they are not allowed to see her. Neville always comes alone and Harry was with Ron and surprisingly, Ginny. 

She really wonders why the youngest Weasley would visit her as the girl only has Harry and quidditch on her mind. There’s also the one instance where she saw Fred Weasley leaving a bar of Honeydukes’s chocolate on her bedside table when she returned from the loo. 

She was used to Blaise’s mothering as he is an aspiring healer and she was always thankful to Dean for his detailed illustrations on his notes. The two never changed since their childhood and has remained a constant in her life – a pesky but loving cousin and a classmate always ready to lend his notes. 

Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sinistra and Dumbledore also visited her. Her head of house came once to check on her condition before the students returned from winter break but her eyes were emotionless. The school’s potion master came to personally give her the reversal potion and scold her for stealing potions ingredients, his eyes were blank with a slight hint of pride. 

Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy professor, visited her while in a trance to tell her that change is welcomed by the castle and warn her of danger and death before the term ended. And the headmaster visiting her in the middle of the night and entering her mind while she’s asleep. 

Her family is aware that an occlumens defenses are usually weak while asleep as concentration is needed in occlumency. A masterful legilimens only needs a slight crack on that concentration to fully enter the mind which is why the Grangers are taught Mind Magic from the cradle.

Teaching toddlers to concentrate is difficult but because they learn through imitation, Sherlyn Granger thought it best to instill meditation early on. Their parents and older family members being examples, it became a habit which greatly helped the children to master both cognitive, motor and magical skills faster and easily.

Although her shields has held fantastically, Hermione still feels violated as the headmaster not only visited her mind but he also tried to plant ideas to make her more susceptible to his manipulations. That took the joy of taking the headmaster’s mind against him from Hermione.

Yes, she has perfected the new layer of her mind’s defenses thanks to the headmaster’s nightly visits but she still does not like the idea. Stomping her feet in frustration, Hermione decided to contact her mother later and went back to the castle for dinner.

Closely following behind her was one Draco Malfoy, who was at the lake at the same time.

XXXXX

Weeks later, Blaise received another note during breakfast but he wasn’t annoyed, he just rolled his eyes fondly before flicking it open to read the missive. This did not escape Draco’s attention and he also noticed, Theo and Bastien as well.

The four of them have been friends since their childhood, they are the closest friends Draco could have and all the others are mere acquaintances. And throughout those years they never once saw Blaise being annoyed until the bloody note incident.

Theo coined the name for the incident as it’s not only Blaise who got annoyed but every Slytherin from fifth to seventh year and their Head of House too called it a bloody note. And seeing his friend’s face slowly getting serious makes Draco apprehensive.

“Mate, what’s wrong?” Draco asked Blaise, getting no reply he knocked his friend’s arm holding the note. “What’s wrong, mate? If that note is bothering you, I could burn it for you again.”

Blaise blinked a few times before clearing his throat, “No, mate it’s not bothering me. I just remembered something.”

“Are you sure, mate?” Theo asked looking at Blaise. “You do know that we want to get our hands to whoever sent you that bloody note, right?”

“Yeah, mate every Slytherin does even Professor Snape,” Bastien said smiling, “that’s one brilliant bit of magic and we also want to know how to do that.”

“And we want to make sure they never do that again to you or any Slytherin,” Draco said pointing to the note in Blaise’s hand. “Maybe just a little intimidation and scaring.”

Blaise looked shocked before bursting into laughter, he looked to Draco and shook his head before laughing again.

“What? We protect our own,” Draco said indignantly.

“I know, Drake and I appreciate the sentiment,” Blaise replied wiping his tears of laughter, “but you could never scare her that I am sure.”

“So it’s a her?” Bastien said, his eyes glinting mischievously, “Already marauding the castle as a cassanova, are we?”

This sobered Blaise up and looked to Bastien with a raised brow. Bastien then also raised his brow and the two continued to stare at each other while Draco and Theo continued to wait. You could call the four of them as best friends but Bastien and Blaise shared a bond because of their mothers.

When Blaise inclined his head towards Draco, Bastien brows furrowed before a smile appeared on his face before nodding to Blaise.

“Now, that makes sense,” Bastien said continuing his breakfast before asking, “Won’t she change her mind though?”

“That we don’t know,” Blaise replied shrugging his shoulder before winking at Theo who were also looking at them. Theo was shocked before he also chuckled, nodding to himself as if saying ‘oh yeah, that’s right’.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Draco said annoyed at being unable to comprehend his friends silent conversation. Yes, his oblivious most of the time but he has important things in mind but this really takes the icing on the cake.

His friends only burst into laughter which added to Draco’s annoyance. He wanted to ask them why they are laughing but he saw Potter and Co. leaving the Gryffindor table. Giving his friends his best sneer, Draco stood and followed Potter out of the Great Hall.

XXXXX

Gryffindors takes their breaks on Fridays from their classwork. They would laze around enjoying the castle until Saturday evening before picking up the due assignments on Sundays. This means a mostly empty and peaceful common room for Hermione and the fifth and seventh years for studying. 

Thus, she was surprised to see many of the students gathered in the common room talking to each other about the Chamber of Secrets while the fourth years are quietly hunched in a couch near the fireplace. The bell rang signaling dinner has started and most of the Gryffindors stood to leave the common room still talking to themselves.

Most of the fourth years also stood up leaving the Weasley twins still whispering to each other quietly. It is a known fact that the twins are quick with their wands so Hermione cleared her throat and tapped the twin sitting on the left on his shoulder.

The twins turned their heads to look at Hermione and raised their brows. “How can we help you, Granger?” Fred Weasley asked her.

“May I borrow your copy of Hogwarts, A History?” Hermione asked looking to Fred. “I left my copy at home because of Professor Lockhart’s ridiculous DADA book requirements and I’ve been waiting to borrow it.”

“Well, well color me surprised,” George replied smiling mischievously, “Hermione Granger not liking a professor.”

“Indeed, Forge, it’s really surprising,” Fred answered making Hermione blush. “But since you asked nicely-“

“-Gred and I would be glad to let you-“ George continued his twin’s rally of words trying to annoy the young witch. 

“-borrow our copy.” Fred said extending the book to Hermione, smiling. “I admire you for not being annoyed by our antics, Granger.”

“Only a handful could do that,” George said, “even our siblings and parents can’t stand it.”

“Well, I like your pranks… mostly,” Hermione said smiling to the twins, her words making them laugh. “I like them as long as it doesn’t hurt or humiliate anyone. You do it to lighten the mood besides winter’s really cold these days.”

Hermione took the book and the twins stood from the couch. “Glad to be of service, Granger,” George said before walking towards portrait with his twin.

“Please return it to us without anyone looking or just give it to Lee. I rather like our image intact,” Fred said winking at Hermione before closing the portrait door.

Hermione chuckled to herself after the twins left. She looked at the book and her brows furrowed when she read the title. She read it again and she felt her magic protesting.

Remembering the copy her grandfather gifted her, Hermione summoned the book from her book bag and compared the two books and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Well, well color me surprise indeed,” she said picking her book bag near a window seat. She wrote a note to Blaise and vanished it to wherever he is before stowing the books on her bag and leaving the common room for dinner at the Great Hall. 


	21. Hogwarts, A History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco, Bastien and Theo follows Blaise to a discovery of a lifetime.

Draco, Theo and Bastien saw the note appearing near Blaise’s hand while eating their dinner. When he saw it, Blaise rolled his eyes fondly before picking and opening it. But the playfulness on his face change into worry that, again, did not escape his friends.

Seeing their friend’s change of expression has now really piqued Draco’s curiosity and he is determined to know what bothered one of his best mates. So when dinner ended and Blaise excused himself, Draco pulled Theo and Bastien with him to follow their friend. 

They have followed him into the fourth floor corridor and went past the library entrance. They saw him continue to the end of the hallway before he stopped at a darkened alcove. He stood there for a moment before he leaned to the wall, clearly waiting for someone. 

_Strange_ , Draco thought before Theo pulled him to what looks like an alcove before Blaise could see them, _who would Blaise want to see on a Friday just after dinner? I don’t even know this place was here_. 

A few minutes later they heard someone coming and pressed themselves further in the alcove. When the footsteps passed them, they peaked out of the alcove to see who it was. And Draco, Theo and Bastien could not believe their eyes.

There standing a few meters from their alcove was their friend Blaise Zabini talking to none other than Hermione Granger. They were laughing together while looking at the end of the hallway before they entered an abandoned classroom. The trio of friends followed inside the room, their shoes silenced and hid near the door while the two unlikely people kept on walking until they reached an old teacher’s table.

They saw Granger and Blaise took their robes off, which made Draco took a sharp breath, before they neatly folded it and putting it on the table with their bags. Granger then conjured blue flames which Blaise scooped into glass jars which he suspended above him and Granger. 

“So, how’s Weasley these days?” Blaise asked sounding miffed which took Draco’s attention from his friend’s display of advanced magic. “Still slipping you Amortentia?”

 _Weasley slipping Granger Amortentia? What the bloody hell,_ Draco said on his mind looking to Theo and Bastien who has the same look of surprise on his face. 

“Yes, it was on my tea this morning,” Granger replied acidly, “Harry’s too from the girl and, I believe, yes, Dean’s too.”

“Horrid children, always after money and power just like their parents,” Blaise said before raising his wand and light erupted from it that has started to write things in the air in front of the blank expanse of wall. 

“I do like Fred and George though, they’re so… different,” Granger said while taking out two books from her bag. “Percy is pompous just like their mother and Ronald is greedy as his father and Ginevra is the embodiment of two. But the twins they don’t fit like they are-“

“-odd, they don’t belong, even their features it kind of reminds me of the Lestranges.” Blaise replied examining the books on the table. “Very Slytherin too, in hiding and executing their pranks and cruel when they retaliate. I think they got overboard with McMillan and Smith the other day though.”

“McMillan and Smith was crueler, what you heard through the grapevine was just half the story.” Granger said looking at the air diagram before nodding, “I healed three of Harry’s ribs before we reached the hospital wing. It might have punctured his lungs the way Ronald carried him, dragging him like a sack of potatoes.”

Blaise whistled flicking his wand to end the light drawing the diagram on the air. “Well, you got Weasley back though. A negating charm during a shrinking charm practical, that got to be the easiest.” Blaise laughed stowing his wand back on his wrist. “But I still like that time when his face fell on the dragon dung fertilizer, Draco enjoyed it.”

Draco almost laughed again when he remembered that which could have given their cover. Thanks to Bastien’s quick silencing charm, he remembered that they should be hidden. He glared at his friend before looking back to where Blaise and Granger stood. 

“That’s just payback for forcing a marriage contract on me,” Granger said, her face was furious and her hair was sparking with magic. “He was bragging to Dean and Seamus that he receives a thousand galleons each month as an allowance for being an _outstanding pureblood member of society_.”

Granger was mimicking Ronald Weasley which made both her and Blaise laugh and in turn Draco, Theo and Bastien as well. They have to silence themselves to not give their location away. 

“Wait, you said he receives a thousand galleons every month,” Blaise said looking to Hermione, “but the illegal marriage contract made for you and Ronald Weasley says he will receive a thousand galleons per year. Where did that come from?”

“Harry’s vault. I asked Toto Fergus to look at it when Dean told me about it.” Granger said looking to Blaise before flicking her wand that sent a buzzing sound around the room muffling their conversation. 

Theo pulled him and Bastien close to where the witch and wizard was standing to hear them better. Walking closer Draco could now read the diagram that Blaise drew. 

Hearing what Ronald Weasley and his family did to Granger and Potter makes Draco question how well he really knows his friend and even his classmates. Most have been around him since his childhood but some like Granger and Potter only came to their world more than a year ago.

 _What do I know of Potter and Granger, of their childhood and background?_ Draco thought quietly asking himself if he even knows anything about his classmates even if its trivial. Looking to Granger to study the witch the words above the witch’s head caught his eye. 

Curious he turned to read the diagram that Blaise and Granger are pointing to and sometimes adding another detail. There was a section about the Sacred 28, a curse, the Hogwarts staff and some family names that are not familiar with him. Then he saw the section about the Chamber of Secrets. 

*****  
Chamber of Secrets (The Hall)

Basilisk – sealed 54 years – Myrtle Warren  
Key – Black Diary – horcrux  
Two souls sealed

*****

He turned to look at Blaise and saw him nodding at whatever Granger was saying then he pointed to the two books on the table. 

“Why do we have two copies of Hogwarts, A History? Is this why all the copies of this book was unavailable because you were hoarding it?” Blaise asked Granger, laughter in his eyes. 

“Shove off, Blaise,” Granger said pointing to the book to their left. “These aren’t just two copies of Hogwarts, A History. On our left is one of the library’s copies of Hogwarts, A History 14th Edition which was written by Bathilda Bagshot. I borrowed this from Fred and George.”

“While this one,” she pointed to the one on their right, “is a copy that grandfather gifted me on my birthday. It was owned by Antoinette Granger who is a legacy student that attended Hogwarts on 1811. And this says,” she pointed to the cover, “Hogwarts, A History _82nd_ Edition by Samantha Lestrange. Do you see it?”

“That a part of our world’s history was cut off? Yes,” Blaise replied studying the two books on the table. “Hogwarts, A History is updated every ten years which meant that it was first published on 1851, that’s ten years after the war officially began. But if this other book is to be believed then the information on this latest editions is either false or tampered with.”

“Precisely, we both know that the castle was given to the four founders to start a magical school but here it says,” Granger said pointing to the 14th edition, “that the castle was created by the founders instead. It’s clearly a distortion of history but why?”

“To hide an important information,” Blaise said snapping his fingers. “The obscurity curse! So, the inexistence of books older than hundred and fifty years old in the library was not just a random coincidence. It was intentionally done!”

“Yes, and every detail on the 14th edition of Hogwarts, A History shows a slight deviation from facts presented in the 82nd edition.” Granger said repeatedly pointing to the book on their left. “I finished reading it during dinner and I noticed that the presentation of the facts changed. A different word was used to make it vague or mean differently and then some were completely deleted like the castle having five towers.”

“But the castle only has four – Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Astronomy and Divination.” Blaise said naming the towers on his fingers but Granger shook her head. 

“Have you seen the painting on the ceiling above the moving staircases?” Granger said while Blaise shook his head no. “That painting has a replica on the library behind a shelf of dusty muggle books. Also I think there was a small one as well a few steps from Professor Snape’s classroom.”

“The one on the moving staircases and on the dungeons was whitewashed poorly, the detail of the fifth tower was like a shadow.” Granger continued pointing to a page in the two books. “The one in the library though was a clear rendition, the peak of five towers are clearly seen above the shelf.”

“Then the words we thought are just caution means another thing, doesn’t it?” Blaise said looking to Granger like he was looking for something. 

“Yes, the words are indeed caution, but to another thing,” Granger replied flipping back to the first page of the 82nd edition. “It’s about taboo magic, using it once was a mistake but using it five or more is a lure, it would enable the caster to hear everything causing even death.”

“And that’s why there is a preceding word always,” Blaise said before he realized something, “that’s the reason he is omniscient not just in the castle but also in the wizarding world. He would always be ahead the purebloods because he knows what they have been planning all along.”

“Yes and he has placed himself in a position of power.” Granger replied looking at their diagram. “He is headmaster to a magical school, the Chief Warlock who presides on the judgment of crimes, and the Supreme Mugwump who decides on the parameters of the laws passed. But he still wants more.”

“He wants nature to bend to his will,” Blaise said his face’s expression unreadable. “Magic help us.”


	22. Preparation 101: Trusting Your Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaise cleared things with his friends.

At ten minutes before 9:30, Blaise and Hermione ended their discussion. The witch flicked her wand erasing their diagram and canceling the wards she erected when they entered the room. 

The two of them left the room with Blaise walking his cousin back to Gryffindor Tower leaving his three eavesdropping friends behind. He knew that Draco, Theo and Bastien were following him since he left the Great Hall.

He also know that he could trust his friends and Hermione agreed that it is time to let them know and their families as an extension. She was steadily working on prying Harry and Neville from the headmaster’s hold without suspicion and they both hope that they could bring the two and their families into the fold soon.

But now it is time to get the Malfoy, Nott and Duchovny families to the Granger family’s protection, it has been a long time coming. Entering their dormitory, Blaise saw his friends quietly talking to each other but they didn’t notice his entrance.

He had changed his clothes quietly before he sat on his bed clearing his throat to get the attention of his best mates. The three wizards looked up in surprise before Theo casted a tempus charm which showed 10:15.

“You came back past curfew,” Theo said avoiding Blaise’s eyes. “What took you so long?”

“I walked Hermione back to Gryffindor Tower and I examined the painting above the moving staircases,” Blaise said looking directly to his friends’ eyes one by one. “I know you three were there and Hermione allowed you into her wards which means she trusted you.”

Draco, whose patience was opposite of his namesake, stood and paced the length of the room before turning to Blaise. “Why didn’t you tell us, mate? Why keep it secret? You said Granger trusts us but do you? We’ve been friends for years, Blaise!”

Blaise, Theo and Bastien rolled their eyes, very much used to Draco’s flair for dramatics. Blaise then looked to Theo who nodded that he must answer the question. Blaise nodded in turn before pulling his wand out. 

He casted a revealing spell then easily dispelled the compulsions and charms that glowed in the objects inside their room. He flicked his wand twice creating what looked like a vacuum before waving his wand in a complicated pattern warding the room.

“Compulsions and illegal listening charms,” he said to Theo whose eyes were still looking at his bed’s headboard. “The second spell was _sanctum_ it creates a vacuum like space that ensures secrecy and non-detection. The ward is a mixture of silencing charm, anti eavesdropping and do not disturb.”

“Bloody hell, mate, where did you learn that?” Draco exclaimed sitting himself cautiously on his bed. “And you casted it like it was nothing and just so… easily.”

“Remember when I told you that we were raised differently?” Blaise asked and the three wizards nodded. “This is the scale of that difference, I have a more stable magical core than the three of you and my views and knowledge of the magical world as well is different from you and even your parents.”

“How did you know Hermione Granger?” Theo asked and Draco nodding.

“She was your cousin, isn’t she?” Bastien answered before Blaise could. It was not a question but a confirmation of a fact.

Blaise nodded but has his eyebrow raised looking to Bastien. “I met her once, she flood to your house while you were changing, we were going to Malfoy Manor to meet the others.” Bastien answered to his friend’s silent question.

“I told her you were changing on your room before she nodded and left that box of confections on the table and disappeared through the floo.”

“Ah, so that’s how it got there,” Blaise replied nodding before he turned to Theo and Draco. “Hermione is my cousin, her father and mine were cousins and we were practically raised together. She has met all of you once, except for Bastien. I brought her to Nott Manor on a playdate.”

“Goodness and we all thought she is a muggleborn,” Theo said shaking his head, “but I don’t understand, if she is a pureblood why don’t we know her family name? There is no Granger in the pureblood registry as far as I know.”

Theo kept on asking questions, he and Draco kept exchanging their knowledge of the pureblood society. This is what Blaise wanted to avoid especially as he has no proof back then and obliterating someone’s knowledge of their life is not easy, to both parties. 

His friends and their families were raised on lies and there is only five people who was part of the old generation who knows the truth, as most of them has died within a century. And one of the two who has remained within the statute wards was the mastermind of the lies.

Blaise was in a dilemma but when he looked up he saw Bastien smiling encouragingly at him. He nodded his thanks to his best mate and cleared his throat stopping Theo and Draco’s incessant asking.

“The three of you are my friends and I trusts you with all my life,” Blaise began looking to his friends’ eyes. “I would tell you everything, my mother and I wanted to for years, but you should know that I could only tell you things related to what you have heard tonight.”

“Why can’t you tell us everything you know, Blaise? Maybe we could even help you or our family can,” Draco protested.

“Because it would change everything, Drake,” Theo replied understanding the implications of Blaise’s words and knowledge. “It would destroy everything we and maybe our families know of the magical world. You remember what we heard tonight, right?”

“Yes, and I realized that I have judged Potter and Granger and maybe everyone I know because of the prejudices we were raised into by our parents,” Draco replied his expression somber before looking to Blaise. “But I still don’t understand why you can’t tell us everything when you’ve been wanting for years.”

“Maybe there is an initiation or a requirement before we are told everything, Drake,” Bastien replied, his perception always on point. “Blaise trusts us but what about his mother or the other members of whatever he is part of?”

Blaise nodded to Bastien saying that it was true. “Me and Hermione trusts you but our parents and the family patriarch decides who we brings into the fold,” Blaise said before looking to Draco, “but the adults have talked about bringing your families to light. They were just piecing the connections between families and are really picky to whom they trust.”

“You mean they have been observing us and our families?” Theo said in surprise. “But how? I didn’t see or feel someone was observing me.”

“More like knowing, actually,” Blaise replied, “and don’t underestimate my family. That’s the first rule you must know. Never assume because perception is power.”

“How about Potter and Weasley? Don’t Granger trusts them?” Draco asked.

“Hermione is working to get Potter and Longbottom out of the headmaster’s grasp.” Blaise replied matter-of-fact. “She doesn’t trust the youngest Weasleys but she was still looking into the twins and the prefect as well as a few of her housemates.”

“She keeps away from Brown, Patil and Finnegan. But I think she likes Thomas,” Bastien said, his detached and clinical way of assessing a person is freaking Blaise out at times. “So, you’re still not safe, Drake.”

Bastien said to Draco, making their friend blush and the others laugh. The heavy atmosphere in the room lightened thanks to Bastien. 

“She and Dean went to the same school before they entered Hogwarts,” Blaise said before rubbing his hands together. “So, who wants to know the truth?”

Bastien smiled and raised his hand while Theo and Draco looked to each other. Theo was scared of what he would know and Blaise is aware of it. While Draco wants to know the facts for his advantage, a typical Malfoy.

Blaise extended his hand to Bastien, Draco and then Theo. When the wizard hesitated in shaking it, Blaise put his hand on Theo’s shoulder.

“You will never be forced into anything, Theo,” Blaise said squeezing his friend’s shoulder, “friends never do that.”

Theo smiled and grabbed Blaise’s hand before shaking it. 


	23. Letting You Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaise shared a few knowledge to his friends.

After the four Slytherins agreed, Blaise conjured a thick soft carpet which he placed between his and Draco’s bed. Then he conjured many pillows between the beds and summoned a basket from his bag. He enlarged it before tapping it and the basket was filled with different pastries, confections, chips and juice boxes.

Blaise enjoyed the wide-eyed reaction of his friends to his magical prowess, as what he did was only expected from seventh years or adults and not from a thirteen year old.

He cleared his throat to get his friends’ attention and told them to change into comfortable clothes before settling himself on one of the pillows. Once everyone was settled with food and drinks on their hands, Blaise began his explanation.

“Me and Hermione as you now know are cousins. Her grandfather and my grandmother were siblings.” Blaise began while his friends nodded along.

“As you know a war occurred in the magical world between the Light and Dark Faction of Magic where no magical blood was spared. This was the First Wizarding War, it started twenty years ago and has ended on the evening of Halloween when Harry Potter vanquished the Dark Lord.”

“What you and most of the magical families doesn’t know is that another war occurred much earlier than the First Wizarding War. This was the First Magical War, a war between a wizard and Magic.” Blaise continued flicking his wand to send another diagram of light on the wall in front of his friends. 

“It was not the war that the headmaster won against Gellert Grindewald in 1945. The First Magical War began on 1841 and the war continues on until today.” Blaise said. “My family, Hermione’s family and many others have fought on this war for 150 years and has been on stalemate since the International Statute Wards around Great Britain has been updated.”

“The wards were updated? How?” Theo asked looking to Blaise. “I have not read any account of the statute wards being updated, only that it was put on 1641 after the witch burning.”

Bastien remembered the book he brought about the international wizarding law. He summoned it from his trunk and flipped the pages until he found the one talking about the International Statute Wards. 

“Yes, the statute wards were erected on 1641,” Bastien replied skimming the book before pointing to a section on the page. “But it should be updated once in a century as mandated by ICW. ‘The wards shall be updated by a guarding family or a blood kin of the caster or a magical group composed of fifty to a hundred people’ it read.”

“A group of fifty to one hundred witches and wizards? The wards need that much magic?” Draco said in awe.

“What’s a guarding family? And the blood kin,” Theo asked reading the passage Bastien just read, “isn’t it too powerful to only be casted by one person?”

“The International Statute Wards around United Kingdom was created and casted by one person only.” Blaise stated before adding another diagram.

“Magical families are divided into three – propagators, influencers and guardians. The propagating families are classified into branches of magic and their duty is to pass down the magical ability gifted to their families by Magic to the younger generation.”

“The influencers’ duty is to give Magic its voice – they are expected to set the examples for every magical and lead the community. And the guarding families only duty is to keep Magic alive, at all cost.” Blaise continued while looking at the diagram on the wall. 

“A ward to keep the magical community safe from the judging eyes of the muggles is created at the cost of a warder’s life or magic that’s why the first option is through a guarding family. They are adept in warding magical communities from muggles as that is one of their responsibilities.”

“The guarding families live outside the wards,” Bastien said, the first one to get near to the truth. “They protect the families inside the wards against suspicion and even attacks from muggles. Your family is one, then.”

“Yes, and also Hermione’s and mostly families considered as muggleborns,” Blaise said nodding to Bastien. “A muggleborn is actually a misleading term because biologically muggles cannot give birth to a magical. The correct term is ‘Magic’s born’ as they are brought by Magic to this world to keep Magic alive.”

“Magic’s born comes to this world as adults to either procreate with a dying line or give birth to a new line of magical family.” Blaise said well aware of his friends shocked faces. “They are usually female, adults and technically does not exist. They appear at the most opportune times to rebuild magical life and lines.”

“They just appear out of nowhere?” Draco asked his eyes wide as galleons. “And procreate with another wizard? Do they stay after they give birth though?”

“Yes, basically that,” Blaise said smiling to himself, “and I think, yes, they stay until they die naturally.”

“Bloody hell! Tell us more!” Draco exclaimed making his friends laugh and releasing the building tension on their dormitory. 

“Well you have mostly heard about the Chamber of Secrets from Hermione and I,” Blaise said thinking how he can tell his friends about Voldemort. 

“Was the Dark Lord the wizard Magic despised?” Theo asked which made Blaise turn his head quickly.

Groaning from the muscle strain his reaction made, Blaise bent and rolled his head a few times to suit the strain. “No,” Blaise answered still groaning, “the Dark Lord was not the wizard Magic despised but he is closely related to him. But let me begin from what we all know.”

“The Dark Lord was said to be defeated on October 31, 1981 when he attacked the Potters and Harry Potter bested him.” Blaise said making his friends nod in agreement. “The killing curse rebounded from Potter killing the Dark Lord but there was no body found, is there?”

“No, there was no body found,” Theo agreed, “only that of James and Lily Potter.”

“Correct and the wizarding world has lived in peace for years after that,” Blaise said, “without knowing that the Dark Lord was still alive and has lived as a wraith in a forest in Albania. What do you know of what happened to Hermione, Potter, Weasley and Longbottom at the end of term last year?”

As expected by Blaise the three wizards were in shock when he said that the Dark Lord was alive. _But he won’t let them settle into that thought, nope that just won’t do_ , Blaise said to himself.

Draco was the first to recover and recited almost the exact words of the headmaster. “Weasley played the best game of chess Hogwarts has ever seen, Granger’s use of cool logic amidst a burning fire, Potter for a game of courage and Longbottom for standing up to his friends.”

“Thank you, Drake,” Blaise said nodding his thanks to Draco. “The reason Hermione, Potter and Weasley were awarded fifty points each at the End of Term Feast on our first year was that they have fought Voldemort just a week before the term ended. They went to the restricted third floor corridor to protect the Philosopher’s Stone which-“

“-which could give eternal life through the Elixir of Life,” Theo said quietly to which Blaise nodded.

“The Philosopher’s Stone was hidden under a trapdoor on the third floor corridor.” Blaise continued. “It was guarded by a three-headed dog, a Devil’s Snare, flying keys, a troll, life-size chess set, burning fires only which an ice cold potion could let you pass, and the Mirror of Erised. The three of them passed all those obstacles just to check on the stone.”

“When Potter got into the last room he was surprised to see someone they don’t expect. He and Weasley suspected that it was Professor Snape who was after the stone but it turns out it was Professor Quirell.” Blaise said and he has a hard time keeping a straight face.

“Professor Quirell? The one with the turban?” Theo asked his mouth closing then opening again like a fish out of water. “He-he was the Dark Lord’s host?”

Blaise nodded and his friends’ faces became ashen. He understood how they feel and their reactions, that’s how he reacted as well when Hermione revealed what happened to her this summer. The most feared wizard by their parents was in the castle all this time.

“The Dark Lord was at the back of his head, the one covered by the turban.” Blaise explained and Draco spilled his juice. “He was also the presence you and Potter saw during your detention in the Forbidden Forest, Drake.”

This turned Draco’s face more ashen and he was close to hyperventilating. Blaise blew his breath and sent a calming charm on him, Theo and Bastien. 

“Potter killed Professor Quirell that night in self-defense,” Blaise continued checking on his friends once in a while. “Our old professor tried to kill Potter by order of the Dark Lord and when Potter put his hand on the professor’s face, it turned to dust. But the wraith fled from the host before Potter could harm it, leaving the professor’s body a dry husk and to crumble.”

“And he may be bidding his time to attack Potter again,” Bastien said, “is he the one controlling the monster in the Chamber of Secrets then?”

“No, he wasn’t it was actually a memory,” Blaise answered, “as you may have read it on our earlier diagram. The monster was a basilisk and it was controlled by a black diary. The diary was owned by a student named Tom Riddle who came to Hogwarts sixty years ago.”

“And how is the Dark Lord related to it, you say,” Blaise replied and his friends smiled in agreement. “Fifty-four years ago before the Dark Lord became known as Voldemort he was known as Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle was a Slytherin prefect and the least favorite student of Transfiguration Professor Albus Dumbledore. Tom Riddle was a pureblood scion, raised as an orphan, believed to be a poor halfblood and the fated vanquisher of the Meddlesome King Albus Dumbledore, Magic’s most despised wizard.”

“Fifty-four years ago, his soul was sealed and his mind and body made into a puppet known as Voldemort,” Blaise said his face serious, “a presence created when the two foulest form of magic is casted on a living magical. After Tom Riddle was sealed, Voldemort unleashed Slytherin’s monster – a basilisk, Hogwarts first line of defense and resident pest controller, killing a student named Myrtle Warren on the second floor girl’s bathroom.”

Looking at his friends’ stunned faces, Blaise silently enlarged the space between his and Draco’s bed. He pushed the food basket aside and settled himself on the floor. He looked to his friends again and smiled.

“You are now up to date with everything that happened in the castle,” he said to his friends before lying down on his back. “I would let you decide on how you would use the information I gave you and whatever your decisions are, I would respect it. If you want to know more or if you are interested in joining the war, then you could either tell me or Hermione so that we could make an arrangement for you and your family.”

He said good night to Draco, Theo and Bastien who still sat thinking and turned to face his bed. He wandlessly turned the lights out and took down the wards before going to sleep. It was past three a.m. and Blaise still has to visit the Chamber in the morning to check on the basilisk.


	24. Her Valentine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bastien is welcomed to the fold and Hermione’s Valentine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you so much for your appreciation of this story and I apologize for not updating. I have been sick this last month and just recovering from it. I am still cleaning a few chapters before I post it, but I hope to do it this month.
> 
> Thank you for your support and happy reading!

After Blaise opened a new perspective for his friends, the week has passed uneventful although he has kept away to allow them breathing room in their decision making. He focused on helping Hermione on undoing the headmaster’s seal on the basilisk which if they succeed would allow the poor animal to live in peace again.

He and Hermione has walked away from the Sacred Hall with many scrapes and bruises and sometimes nearly dead as the basilisk’s ability to cloud its eyes was also sealed which was the biggest problem they have encountered and one they constantly fought about.

There was that one time where he suggested to Hermione to just kill Estela (the name his cousin gave the basilisk) and to just breed another one which would take its control away from the headmaster when the basilisk trashed out of her control and nearly petrified her. But Hermione, in all her love for magical creatures, vehemently refused and tried to visit the agitated creature again the next day.

He has to physically drag his cousin away from the second floor girl’s bathroom to stop her plans of visiting the basilisk again which led them to discover who holds the key, as luck would have it. Hermione tried to keep her shock from showing when they saw Ginny Weasley threw a black diary in one of the stalls angrily.

But before they could get the diary who hit a crying Myrtle, Harry Potter entered the bathroom and found Tom Riddle’s diary first. And Hermione, trusting he would turn it over to a teacher, tried to calm herself and formed a strategy on how to get it before that happens. But how wrong she was!

Harry Potter, in all his wisdom, kept the diary and interacted with it leading to a frustrated Hermione who was now tearing her hair and blasting their secret headquarters apart, just a day before Valentine’s Day. And that gave Blaise the most fun in all week and took his worry about his friends’ decision.

He was still laughing when he allowed Bastien to walk into their wards. Hermione, still muttering about Harry Potter’s stubbornness and idiotic presumptions, waved her hand towards the newcomer to give her approval before she silently repaired the destroyed room.

Pitying his cousin, he also sent a wave of his magic in the room to help her repair the destruction she wrought fast. Once the room was back to rights again, he then sent Hermione a calming charm coupled with his magic lest his cousin be killed if her true abilities were discovered by Albus Dumbledore.

Calm and her usual self, Hermione welcomed Bastien Duchovny to their circle. Blaise performed a deep diagnostic charm on his friend while Hermione used her magic to destroy the compulsions and charms that Bastien was under. They then led him to the back of the room and into a secret passageway.

Hermione took the lead suspending two jars of blue flames ahead, Bastien was in the middle, and Blaise took the rear as he wiped all the traces of their magic and presence in the room. They quietly walked down the passage, their footsteps echoing in the darkness. 

They reached the end of it and Hermione put her hand on the wall and it opened to a circular room. The three students entered and the room was slowly lit by candlelight until its warmth and security bathe the three magicals along with a roaring fire on the hearth.

Bastien tried to step into the room but was denied by a ward and his companions smiled at him before Hermione put her left hand and Blaise put his right hand on the barrier. The ward shimmered before its light traveled around the room and two large boulders stood facing each other in front of them.

Hermione stepped in between the stones followed by Blaise before they waved Bastien to follow. He tentatively put one foot forward and feeling no resistance he stepped in what likely a gateway. 

He felt a strong magic enveloping him, judging him and his magic of his worth. Bastien closed his eyes feeling like every particle of his body was being examined then he felt himself being pushed forwards and so he did moved forward.

Opening his eyes, he saw Blaise grinning proudly at him. “Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets, mate.”

XXXXX

Welcoming Bastien to the real Chamber of Secrets the night before took Hermione’s mind away from Harry and Tom Riddle’s diary for the meantime as she and Blaise needs to teach the Duchovny heir the beginnings of his magic. Being deemed worthy by Hogwarts magic after all is an honor and entails many responsibilities.

Tired and happy, Hermione woke up late on Thursday and she hurried to the Great Hall to not miss breakfast. Running as fast as she can, she has failed to notice the floating decorations on the hallway which signifies today’s celebration.

Reaching the Gryffindor table, Hermione sat at the far end and made her plate from her housemates’ remnants not paying attention on the huge pink hearts floating around followed by pixies and gnomes dressed as little cherubs until she and her food was showered by glitters.

“What the bloody hell!” Hermione exclaimed in shock before looking up and noticing the decorations.

“Morgana and Merlin! Has Filch lost his mind?! Decorating the Great Hall in pink and hearts and bloody cherubs! Everywhere I look is now ghastly, my eyes are burning with pink! Of all things ghastly, this is the ghastliest of them all! Gilderoy Lockhart is a git, who selfishly wants to celebrate Valentines just to receive gifts from his bloody fans! Self-serving bastard, as if they exist! I’d rather listen to the crying mandrakes than see pink!”

Hermione grumbled while preparing a sandwich for her breakfast which a passing Professor Snape heard behind her making him chuckle. It seems that he is not the only one who hates the holiday forced by his colleague.

Hermione’s sour mood towards Valentines has not abated throughout the morning even through Harry’s sorry excuse of a Valentine message from Ginny Weasley. It even doubled during their Potions class when she saw Pansy Parkinson was paired with Draco Malfoy and the two walked out of class with the witch hanging in the Malfoy heir’s arm. 

It was not until halfway through dinner when Hermione received a bar of Honeydukes’ best chocolate that was passed along in the Gryffindor table that her mood changed. She came late to dinner from the library and was sat between Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet because there was no space near Harry and Ron.

Passing the chocolate along to Alicia absentmindedly, the Gryffindor chaser gave it back to Hermione making her stop and look to the older girl. The older witch smiled and pushed the chocolate in her hand. Angelina saw it and she bumped Hermione’s shoulder.

“It’s for you Hermione from your admirer,” Angelina said winking and making her blush. “He says that he doesn’t want to see you sad today.”

“Who sent it to me?” Hermione asked bewildered. 

But Angelina only smiled at her knowingly before she and Alicia stood up from the table leaving a curious but a smiling Hermione, her mood lightened. Her blush and change of demeanor did not escape Professor Snape as well as the large smile of one of the notorious twins.

Finishing her dinner, Hermione quietly walked out of the Great Hall with a bounce on her steps which made the dour potions master chuckle to himself. Clearly, even a know-it-all would be happy for having a secret admirer.

XXXXX

Finished with her classwork and nightly routines, Hermione settled herself to bed late that night. Lavender and Parvati are already fast asleep on their beds but the Granger heir was still enjoying the bliss of receiving chocolate during Valentine’s Day.

She hates pink and the overly need to display sweetness and somewhat demanding show of love during Valentine’s Day but being remembered by someone even not on that special love day makes Hermione elated.

There was no signature on the little note accompanying the bar of chocolate but its message of be happy, you are loved and remembered is enough to make Hermione smile after her failure of love message to Draco Malfoy.

She, like the girls her age, sent a love note to their crushes through the singing Valentine dwarves Lockhart has arranged. Draco as planned has received the love note and smiled even when he was teased by his friends.

The disaster came during their shared Charms class when Theo asked Draco if he has an idea of the sender and Pansy Parkinson in all her glorious pugginess declared that it was from her which led to Hermione’s boiling temper the whole day.

But thanks to one secret admirer, even if it’s a prank, Hermione was happy while writing a letter home to her mother and eating the Honeydukes chocolate. Of course, she has checked it for compulsions, potions and charms of any kind… better be ready than sorry. 


	25. Breaking Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan to save Estela the Basilisk and an overview on horcruxes.

Hermione and Blaise chose to spend their Easter holidays at the Granger Hall after Colin Creevey, a Gryffindor who loves taking pictures, was found petrified and his camera and film was burnt to a crisp. They want to avoid the castle for a little while to regroup and rehash their plans about the basilisk.

As they still can’t coax the basilisk’s clouded gaze willingly, Hermione was running out of ideas on preventing the creature from being killed either by Blaise or Harry Potter. This they conclude would be how their year would end as planned by Albus Dumbledore.

After Harry’s dormitory was found ransacked and then Creevey being petrified after Harry unwillingly stood for a picture with Lockhart, Ginny Weasley it seems was targeting the people, which for her, has grievances against the Boy Who Lived. It was just unfortunate that the victims are all considered as ‘muggleborns’. 

And no self-respecting pureblood or half-blood would owl their parents about it except in malice or glee. While the handful of muggleborns left in the castle would not dare inform their parents about it for fear of being permanently removed from the magical world.

And through her continued observation of the youngest Weasley, it is clear that Hermione would be her last target if the girl’s glares and smug expression is considered. Being the only female member of their trio and the closest female relationship of Harry Potter, made her elimination on Ginny Weasley’s books a number one priority.

Now having dinner with their family, Hermione sat quietly still thinking of a way to save Estela and Harry as well as informing the wizarding world that Voldemort is back before it is too late. Noticing Hermione’s quietness, Armand Granger cleared his throat to poke the sleeping dragon. 

“Maia, dear, I heard from your father that he has secured a betrothal between you and Lucia’s heir for the Malfoy line. And rumor has it that he is your chosen but do you agree?”

“Yes, Papa Armand I like him, a lot,” Hermione answered absentmindedly before turning to her grandfather. “How is a horcrux created and how do you remove mosmordre from a magical creature?”

“Hogwarts’ basilisk?” Armand asked seeing Hermione’s absentmindedness and she and Blaise nodded. “How far along are you?”

“There are three presences in Hogwarts, one in Gryffindor Tower, one with the headmaster, and one in the seventh floor corridor. We believe that these presences are horcruxes and the one in the tower was a diary owned by Tom Riddle.”

“Tom Riddle is now Lord Voldemort, a sealed soul by nulla and animated by mosmordre. But Voldemort as Potter saw last year is a wraith and has no body. Could the body survive after it was obliterated by old magic?”

“As long as the soul is alive, the body can’t die,” Armand replied, “if a powerful magic is casted against a sealed soul, only the tether would be broken, freeing the soul and leaving the body. Creating a horcrux though is opposite of nulla.”

“Instead of sealing the whole soul, a horcrux is created by tearing the soul after committing the foulest form of magic. There is three – nulla, mosmordre and avada kedavra – the killing curse being the most effective for creating a horcrux as it automatically tears the soul in half. The other two needs stronger intent and multiple usage before a soul is torn.”

“Harry and Ginny Weasley interacted with a memory from the diary and it has possessed the youngest Weasley, it made her open the ‘Chamber of Secrets’ and release Estela petrifying the students. But if Tom Riddle’s whole soul is sealed away, the memory in the diary is not a soul fragment but another thing entirely.”

“It’s something that mimics a horcrux – cloying darkness, possession and getting through your head. How do you feel when you got near the diary?” Blaise asked Hermione. 

“It feels like it wants to get into my head, it wants to get into my darkest thoughts and curiosities, looking for a way to… destroy me inside out.” Hermione said realizing the answer. “It acts like a compulsion! Only that it finds your deepest fears and insecurities and turning it against you.”

“Does the soul inside the object acts as the brain or is it just feeding the compulsion energy? Is the whole soul needed or a fragment is enough? How do you tear a soul apart without resorting to killing someone?” Blaise said curiously. 

“A soul at its weakest could be pried away or torn in half,” Helen Granger said remembering the book she read on soul magic. “It is weakened through a strong onslaught of emotion that it wants to die by someone’s hand. The old magic Eros is one reason for a soul to tear in two because the owner sacrifices their life because of their love for the other person.”

“A soul split because of eros is very specific actually,” Richard Granger said his brows furrowed, “the thought would always go with the half that goes out of the body leaving the body to be very susceptible to control and manipulation. A person with even just a fragment of soul left won’t die until the soul became whole again or the others were killed.”

“Mosmordre could be destroyed by a simple reducto or bombarda just like a compulsion,” Armand said. “And like a compulsion, it will find another tether, albeit a living one. It would always look for an emotion to hold unto, the stronger the emotion, the stronger the tether. It would feed on insecurities, doubts and negativities of a person and would drive anyone to do anything just to escape that prison.”

“We will have to contain Estela’s curse within sanctum,” Hermione said her hand under her chin. “Should the containment be forced or gradually reduced until the curse loses strength?”

“There should be two layers of sanctum for the container,” Blaise said while drawing a design in the air. “I can now create a smaller containment space so I would add the layering. When should we remove the curse?”

“You’re not killing Estela anymore?” Hermione said to Blaise, eyes full of mirth. “Thank Merlin!”

“No, not yet,” Blaise shrugged remembering their last fight about the basilisk. “As long as we could safely contain the curse, she’s no harm to anyone. But when should the curse be removed?”

“Every curse has a weak point,” Helen answered looking to Hermione and Blaise. “A curse’s weak point varies from its casting to the person effecting it but it usually shows as when there’s a doubt or another strong curse would follow. But the timing is important lest you provoke it and strengthen it further.”

“And for a basilisk, that would be before it kills or petrifies its victim,” Richard added, “that’s a very small window you will be working on. And would surely need a victim to turn up.”

Blaise and Hermione looked to each other, their expressions shows the silent argument they’re having. Blaise’s darkening expression shows he does not approve of whatever harebrained plan Hermione concocted as shown by her pleading expression. Feeling the tension increase in the room, Armand Granger thought it best to interfere before either of his grandchildren broke their tempers. 

“Tom Riddle’s diary, who gave it to the youngest Weasley? And when did she receive it?” Armand asked looking to Hermione.

“The diary turned up while Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy were insulting each other when we went to get our school supplies in Diagon Alley,” Hermione answered now looking to her grandfather. She and Blaise has decided to settle their conversation another time. 

“Lucius Malfoy added a new black leather bound journal to the girl’s cauldron after seeing her things were all secondhand,” Helen explained remembering the encounter. “He must have pitied the girl, the youngest of seven children and recipient to all her brothers hand-me-downs.”

“That’s true we saw him grab the journal from the shelves,” Richard agreed, “which means that the new journal was switched before you went to Hogwarts.”

“Yes, the diary was worn and aged. Me and Maia saw it when Ginevra Weasley angrily threw it on a bathroom stall,” Blaise confirmed to their grandfather. “Then Harry Potter picked it up, beckoned to it and hid it like his life depended on it. Until the second year boys dormitory was ransacked, likely to steal the diary back.”

“Lucius is Abraxas Malfoy’s son and the current head of his house,” Chiara said looking to Armand, “Abraxas died this summer, allegedly from dragon pox. But for me, it would be due to Narcissa Black, Lucius’ wife, as a way around the Malfoy marriage contract.”

Armand nodded and encouraged his family to continue their dinner while he was thinking. Halfway through dessert, he has sent for Ruri from the archives. When the elderly elfin arrived, she gave Armand a roll of parchment and a book on magical genealogy. The Granger patriarch studied it and his family ate their strawberry gelato in their normal banter putting the basilisk and horcrux topic aside. 

“Abraxas Malfoy is the soul in the diary,” Armand said to his family without preamble, tapping the parchment. “The Malfoy marriage contract states that a Malfoy bride could not interfere with the Patriarch’s decision with regards to the heir.”

“Helen, inform Lucia that Malfoy Manor is compromised. Richard, set the trackers to find Abraxas’ body, he’s somewhere either in Wiltshire or in Hogwarts.” Armand said to his son and daughter-in-law before looking to Hermione and Blaise. 

“Maia, if you are sure that you are Ginevra Weasley’s last victim, we will start training you for magical exhaustion tomorrow morning. Blaise, retaining just a portion of its venom is enough to weaken the basilisk and its eyes.”

“Chiara, please prepare a counter potion for a basilisk’s petrification as well as a lucidity potion,” the patriarch continued to instruct. “Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy will be brought into the fold through force, if need be. Albus will ground that family to dust just like the Blacks and it would be too late for all of us.”

“Hermione, Blaise you should allow the headmaster’s plan to pass for the showdown with Harry Potter but pull the timing in a full moon,” Armand said looking to his grandchildren seriously. “It would hurt him, yes, but it would also lessen the leech on his magic. The magical leech feeds both Albus’ wards and compulsions in the Dursleys’ house against Harry.”

“I will mix my magic with the venom,” Hermione replied, her sadness for causing pain to Harry is palpable. “If we can just safely take Harry away from the headmaster’s eyes, we could avoid this.”

“Don’t worry, Maia, we’ll find a way,” Blaise assured his cousin squeezing her hand on the table, “we will surely find a way to remove him from Albus Dumbledore’s slimy hold.”


End file.
